The Anomaly
by Pinbreaker
Summary: When a Gallifreyan child escapes the Time-War by becoming human, she is found by 12-year old Ichijou Takuma. Believing the girl to be a former-human vampire, Takuma brings her home with him. When he realizes the girl is no ordinary child, Ichiou exploits her destitution, and tries to create a puppet he can control. Review, please!
1. The Fall of Arcadia

_Disclaimer: I own neither Vampire Knight nor Doctor Who. I own only my characters or ideas._

**Author's Note: I don't normally place author's notes before my stories, but I needed to emphasize that my story is not nearly as campy as my description. I simply do not have enough words allocated to write the description without the story sounding campy. XD**

**Also, I revised this chapter to reflect the future plot-line of the story. If the chapter leaves you with questions, that was done intentionally. Too many stories are written with all the secrets revealed in the first chapter, so in other words: Trust me, I'm the author. XD **

**UPDATED: 11/02/2014**

_The Anomaly  
><em>_A Vampire Knight/Doctor Who Crossover_

Chapter One: The Fall of Arcadia

Sullenly, I sat at the table while my mother bustled about the kitchen. As she roasted various vegetables in a skillet, my mother spoke to me in a confident tone, "They did the right thing sending you back to me. Those foolish and arrogant council members refusing to stop taking children away to the Time-lord Academy. Don't they realize that any day now…" She shook her head, and tossed the vegetables in her skillet more violently than she normally would have.

Although my mother was ranting, she wasn't really speaking to me. I was only listening in on her one-sided conversation because it felt comforting to have at least one person on my side.

_"You are a disgrace to all of Gallifrey!__ You are an anomaly! All mention of your name shall be stricken, and replaced with 'the Anomaly,'" one of the cardinals announced. "You will be sent back to Arcadia, and to your mother immediately!"_

And so, I sat a bit hunched over at the kitchen table half-listening to my mother's criticism of the High Council's decision-making. Despite her relief to have me back, I felt ashamed that I hadn't even managed to pass the Initiation.

_I should have pretended… But… I didn't know what was expected… All I knew was that I was supposed to view the Untempered Schism… _

Each child was taken separately to view the Schism. The officials did not wish for the other members of the chapter to become influenced by their peers' reactions. If I had been able to see previous reactions, I would have been able to fake my way into the Time-lord Academy. Instead, I had looked into the Schism - into all of time-and-space, and it looked into me, and we recognized each other.

I had thought it would hurt; all that knowledge, power, and emotion contained inside the Schism seemed as if it could burn a person in moments, yet I felt oddly devoid of emotion, and pain, as I peered inside the Schism. One desire burned inside me, and I stretched my hand out to the Time-Vortex unconsciously. The only reason I was prevented from placing my hand inside the Time-Vortex was due to one of the cardinals grasping my arm tightly enough to cut-off my circulation.

When I turned to look at him, emotion suddenly rushed back to me, and I found myself terrified by the expression of hatred and rage on the man's face. Clearly, I had violated some unknown protocol when I'd attempted to manipulate the Time-Vortex.

"Mama…" I said, thoughtfully. She stopped her ranting, and looked at me to indicate she would listen. "What normally happens when you look into the Untempered Schism?"

Smiling falsely, my mother placed some vegetables on my plate. "Never you mind. You reacted precisely how you should have because it was honest, so what others' see or feel when they view the Schism is irrelevant to you. Each person is unique," she answered.

"But if each person is different… Why did they tell me I could not attend the Time-lord Academy?" I asked. "They called me a disgrace; they took away my name." I paused a moment, before admitting, "Even I can no longer recall ever being called anything other than 'The Anomaly.'"

"Arrogant fools!" my mother reiterated; looking angrily at the ceiling. "You will become the truest Time-lord of them all - with or without attending their school, and nobody really needs a name. Look at the Doctor; he's brave, and bold, and brilliant, but hardly anyone knows his name."

"I am one then? You think I'll be like you and the Doctor?" I wanted to know; I was a bit desperate to hear that I truly was a Time-lord. I wanted to travel and have adventures the way my mother had.

My mother smiled, and nodded. "Certainly. Now eat, and then off to bed. You'll have a busy day tomorrow," my mother replied.

Normally, we did not eat cooked food, but recently my mother had been preparing more and more complicated meals. I did not understand why we had ceased taking only the pills to satisfy our nutritional needs.

Of course, sometimes my mother had brief relapses. During her travels, she had gone to this marvelous planet called 'Earth.' She had become entranced by the simple-minded creatures the planet contained, and for a while she considered moving there permanently. Only her loyalty to Gallifrey convinced her to return; she had decided long ago that the culture and government of Gallifrey had stagnated, and that Gallifrey had become too difficult to live enjoyably on. Often she compared Earth's uncomplicated society to Gallifrey's, and I wondered if she regretted her decision to return.

On Earth, the population prefers to eat complicated meals – perhaps to make up for their uncomplicated lives. Meanwhile on Gallifrey, the population was too concerned by the chaos of the Time-War to prepare elaborate meals. It was difficult enough to survive these days.

My mother and I were lucky. We lived in the safest city on all of Gallifrey: Arcadia. With its 400 sky trenches, it was considered impregnable. Many refugees from all over Gallifrey gathered in Arcadia, and managed to live semi-peaceful lives.

Despite the terror of the Time-War, my mother still left me alone without worry. During my free hours, I would go to parks with my friends, and we would spend our time devising pranks to play on the cardinals at Primary - the school all children from Time-lord and Patrician families were required to attend before the Time-Lord Academy. When we ran out of ideas, we would consider what we would do once the Time-War ended, and real-life restarted. Secretly, we'd desired to take the example of the Doctor; we wanted nothing more than to run away from Gallifrey in order to see all of time-and-space.

My friends were all currently studying at the Time-Lord Academy; for them, the chance to become officially sanctioned Time-Lords had not been removed. When they realized that I'd been unable to make it past Initiation, would they still wish to travel with me?

"Mama… Will I travel like you did? When this war is over?" I asked, hesitantly. Whether the war would end or not also remained to be seen.

"Yes; you will," she answered, but she didn't smile. In fact, she appeared to have tears in her eyes, and she stood abruptly, and walked out of the room without saying anything further.

Slowly, I ate the roasted vegetables, then placed my dish in the sink.

For a while, I stood at the window in our kitchen, and I watched the skies. In the distance, I could see flashes of red, blue, and green, and I knew a battle was taking place somewhere above Arcadia. Despite the ferocity of the fighting above, Arcadia was silent and still. Nobody seemed surprised to have fighting happening above the city. The battles these day raged anywhere and everywhere, and they never seemed to cease.

"Anomaly, go to bed," my mother instructed me, as she returned to the kitchen. She was wiping her eyes, which were a bit redder than before.

"Mama… Is something bad happening?" I asked, concerned.

My mother forced herself to smile; her cerulean eyes didn't shine the way they did when she was genuine. "You will be safe," she assured me. "To bed with you! Tomorrow will be a busy day!"

Dismally, I climbed the stairs to my room. Since I had never expected to return to this room, the walk to my room felt as if I were walking to my execution. I hesitated before entering my room, and stood before my doors for what felt like hours before telepathically asking them to give me entry.

Upon entering my room, I began to feel slightly better about my expulsion from the Time-lord Academy. At least, I was in a familiar place with my mother. I'd heard rumors that the Time-lord Academy was full of hidden dangers, and that not much support existed. Even within the chapters, gaining enemies was as likely as gaining allies. Better to be home with someone I knew would only have my best interests in mind.

Although my mother had instructed me to go to bed, I strode over to the large bay window where I kept my stargazing gear.

Flipping open my notebook, I read my last entry silently before continuing to observe the distant planet through my telescope. Kolox was the home-planet of a species called the Skrawn. While the Time-lords didn't have any malice for the Skrawn, the Time-lords also didn't seem to respect the Skrawn's presence in the universe.

_Still… An interesting planet… _I thought, writing the current position of Kolox into my notebook before glancing back through the telescope.

However, when I looked back through the telescope, I discovered that the planet was no longer present. Instead of a planet, only debris drifted in the location I'd indicated on my paper.

_I must have made a mistake. While I wrote the position down, I must have knocked my telescope into the wrong position…_

For a while I searched desperately for Kolox, but without success. During the course of my search, I started out thinking that I must have made an error, but slowly I came to the realization that the floating debris was all that was left of Kolox.

_Hasn't this Time-War taken enough already? _I thought, writing down the date Kolox had finally been annihilated. _Hasn't this war gone on long enough? Isn't it time that someone declares 'no more?'_

Silent tears fell as I decided I no longer wanted to watch the tumultuous skies. These days I only saw destruction; those days when I'd witnessed stars being born were distant and few.

When my mother entered my room, I was aware of her presence only when she spoke. "Anomaly, is something bothering you?" she asked, softly.

"Kolox is destroyed… I watched it happen…" I whispered. Wiping my eyes, I turned to my mother. "Mama, will Gallifrey be destroyed, too?"

My mother didn't answer me. "If you go to bed, I'll tell you a story," she told me instead.

I nodded, then changed into a nightgown quickly. Maybe my mother would tell me about Earth; her stories about Earth always seemed so joyful. Whenever the battle raged, I enjoyed listening to tales of peace.

"Is the story about one of your adventures on Earth?" I wondered, as I crawled onto the soft mattress, and underneath the covers.

Shaking her head, my mother told me, "You always wonder why we don't belong to a House, and I've always told you that the time has not come to answer your questions." She paused, and looked resolutely at my bed-covers. "The time has come for you to learn something about yourself."

I groaned. It wasn't a story after all. Every time my mother proclaimed that it was 'time for me to learn something about myself' it meant that I was about to receive a riddle that I must solve before receiving confirmation of any facts. While I enjoyed learning more about my mysterious background, I did not enjoy thinking through my mother's difficult riddles.

"I'm going to write this riddle down for you, and add it to your bags," my mother told me. She withdrew a piece of heavy, durable paper, and wrote tidy, cursive Old High Gallifreyan words before placing the completed draft inside one of the packed bags next to my bed.

"Is something going to happen, Mama? Why have you packed those bags? Arcadia cannot fall; it's…"

My mother interrupted, "Everything changes after tonight. What was once true will be corrupt, and the suns will fall on Gallifrey."

_Another riddle? Or does she mean precisely what she's saying… _

"Anomaly, good-night," my mother told me, patting me on the head gently, as she stood.

I caught hold of her robes, as she turned away. "But the riddle…" I began.

"I've already given it to you," my mother smiled. "Don't look at it now; you must get some rest."

Obedient, but confused by the unusual behavior of my mother, I settled back into my pillows. For a while I stared at the constellations hanging about my room. Like real stars, they shone dimly in the darkness, and changed each night according to their counterparts' astronomical positions.

I'd always loved the stars and planets, and that was why being expelled from the Time-Lord Academy had hurt so much. From birth, I'd been entranced by the universe, and simply looking at it from afar had not been enough. My only aspiration in life had been to become a Time-lord, so I could travel to distant stars and planets – like my mother had. However, since I was forbidden to attend the Time-lord Academy, that aspiration was now little more than an unrealistic fantasy.

The decision-making of the officials was final, and without a TARDIS, flying off on my own to follow my dreams was an impossibility.

Of course, I did have some hope. The Doctor had stolen an outdated TARDIS, so he could travel the universe. Maybe I could do the same; although, to the Doctor's credit, he had attended the Time-lord Academy, as well as received advanced education. When my friends and I had planned our journeys, we'd always assumed that we would have at least acquired a certification from the Time-Lord Academy. How would I be able to learn the rules dictating time-and-space without an education? I had always been brilliant in Primary, but nobody could be expected to understand the intricacies of time-and-space travel with only a basic education. Especially when one wanted to actively participate in events.

Perhaps I could become a merchant; if I became a merchant, then I could at least travel to other planets.

Another impossibility. Even if the Time-War ended, and inter-Galactic travelling became a normal occurrence again, I would never be permitted to change to a lower caste ranking.

My only option besides becoming a Time-lord would be to become a Patrician, and study politics and other tedious subjects that didn't seem at all interesting. I'd heard that some of those expelled from the Time-lord Academy could also be sent into the army – especially, now that the Time-War had been ongoing for centuries, but obviously the officials had no intention of sending me into the army since they'd determined I was best sent home to my mother.

_Seems a bit insulting, actually… _I thought, reflecting on the official's words once more.

Pulling my covers closer, I rolled onto my side, and closed my eyes. I wasn't even aware that I'd fallen asleep until I felt my mother shaking me roughly.

"Anomaly! Wake up! Get dressed! Hurry!" she cried, shaking me still. "Arcadia is falling!"

Somewhere between waking and sleeping, I forced myself to sit up. Rubbing my eyes groggily, I repeated quietly, "Arcadia is falling…"

_No! That's not possible!_

Instinctively, I rushed to the large bay window, and looked out at the horrifying scene unfolding below. Screaming civilians ran through the streets, grasping the hands of children, and moving in large groups. Daleks were materializing directly onto the streets, and I knew that the sky trenches had each been destroyed. Above, I could see thousands of Dalek ships descending on Arcadia.

"Anomaly! Foolish girl! Get away from that window!"

Hastily I grabbed my telescope, notebook, and star charts, then rushed to fit them into my bags. I ignored my mother's protests, and went back to collect my astrolabe and compass, as well.

"Anomaly! Get dressed!" she screamed at me.

Stunned, but realizing that my actions were senseless, I quickly dressed in the ceremonial robes I'd worn while attending my initiation. Somehow, I wasn't much concerned that the heliotrope colored robes would make me stand-out amongst the red-clad civilians.

"Grab a bag, and let's go!" my mother instructed me, as she picked up the bag I'd laden with my stargazing equipment.

I grabbed the other bag which was much lighter since it contained only clothing, and I followed my mother downstairs and onto the street.

Although the screams and gunfire had been loud in my room, the sound on the street was deafening. For a moment, I simply stood in the doorway, and stared at the chaos about me. The street was almost unrecognizable. Buildings were reduced to rubble, and others were ablaze. Dalek ships shot at the highest towers, while individual Daleks advanced on the streets to exterminate the civilians and soldiers. Shouts from the infantrymen on the ground were practically lost in the whirring and buzzing of the ships, and the Daleks' cries of 'exterminate!' seemed to come from every corner of Arcadia. Nobody seemed to know where to run to. If Arcadia was no longer safe, where could we go for refuge?

_Fire… and confused civilians… And intolerant Daleks everywhere… Where does my mother intend to take me? _

I watched as a large group of civilians became surrounded by Daleks. They halted, then attempted to turn back, but found that way blocked as well. Hopelessness echoed in the eyes of the civilians, and as I watched the first child fall, I felt my mother's hand grip mine tightly.

"Run, Anomaly!" my mother ordered.

We ran through the war-torn streets of Arcadia. Streets which only yesterday had echoed with safety – even normalcy. How could the Daleks have gotten through two of the sky trenches; let alone, all 400?

For a while, my mother and I managed to avoid encountering any of the Daleks. It was as we rounded a corner that fate seemed to catch up with us.

A bulky metal object with a rounded top, and built-in weapons forced me to stop so quickly that I stumbled before falling backwards onto the concrete. My eyes widened with fear, and I bit back a shriek, as I stared into the eyestalk looking down at me.

The chaos of Gallifrey fell away, and all I could think about was the Dalek before me. It was so close; I wouldn't even have to extend my arm to touch it. I was startled by how much larger the Dalek was to me; even if I had been standing, the Dalek would have been taller than me by two or three feet. Although I had seen Daleks depicted in artwork, in books, and on video footage, I had never realized how terrifying they were up-close.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

A chill fell over me, as I realized how defenseless I was. _If I have to die, I'll at least make myself worth remembering, _I thought. I forced myself to climb to my feet, and took a step away from the Dalek, but didn't turn my back.

I wanted to say something brave and memorable, but when I spoke, only the words "ready or not" came out. Forcing myself to look into the Dalek's eyestalk, I didn't notice the man behind the Dalek until the Dalek exploded into fragments.

Startled, and relieved, I looked up at the man who'd saved me from the Dalek.

Timeless was the best way to describe the man. He seemed to have lived through the entirety of the Time-War, and despite not being outfitted in the uniform of the army, I could tell from his mannerisms that he'd been a soldier. The fact that he held a gun somehow seemed to contradict his nature, and I was surprised to discover that I believed him brave enough to enter battle without a weapon at all.

Without a word, the man turned away from us, and began blasting the words 'no more' into a nearby wall. From the other side of the wall, I heard the Daleks proclaiming, "Inform high command! We have the Doctor! Seek! Locate! Destroy!"

_That's the Doctor... The legendary defender of Gallifrey... Even before the Time-War, he would defend civilizations... Armed with a screwdriver, and bravery..._

Being grabbed by the wrist by my mother jolted me out of my reverie. "Lord Doctor!" she called, practically dragging me along behind her.

Although the Doctor had been about to board his TARDIS, he paused when he heard my mother's voice. Turning toward us, he informed her brusquely, "I no longer answer to that title." He didn't look at us as he answered; instead, he stared resolutely at the ground.

"Not now, but you will once more," my mother insisted, calmly. "Please, remember my daughter. She will need you to protect her."

Shyly, I looked up at the Doctor's weathered face, and noticed that he grimaced when he looked at me. Somehow, I knew his grimace had nothing to do with the idea of caring for a child. When he looked at me, recognition lit in his eyes, as if he knew precisely who I was. If I had to describe the emotion in his eyes in one word, it was best summarized as 'regret.'

_Why is he ashamed to look at me? He saved me... He can't regret that..._

When the Doctor did not respond to my mother's words, she continued, "She is known as the Anomaly - the girl with no name. You will meet her again, Lord Doctor."

The Doctor shook his head, and turned back to his TARDIS – a scuffed up, dark blue police call-box. I stared at it in confusion. _What is a police call-box? _I wondered.

"I know who she is, but I doubt I'll be meeting _anyone_ ever again," the Doctor replied, sounding both disgruntled, and saddened.

Without waiting for my mother to respond, the Doctor entered his TARDIS, and took off. Crashing through the wall, the Doctor knocked several Daleks who had been searching for him to the ground. Disorientated, and confused, the Daleks screamed, "The Doctor is escaping!" As their eyestalks turned away from the Doctor's TARDIS, and they noticed the inscribed words "no more," the Daleks demanded, "What are these words? Explain! Explain!"

My mother's grip on my hand tightened, and she turned away from the scene, as she focused intently.

"Ameretat," she whispered, focusing intently. "It is time for another journey."

"But… Mama…" I glanced upward. "Dalek ships, and a time-lock…."

Escape was an impossibility. We were trapped. Where could we go?

Another TARDIS materialized before us, and I waited for someone to get off, but instead my mother began dragging me into the TARDIS.

"Don't you remember me telling you about Ameretat?" my mother asked, as I finally entered. The door shut and locked automatically behind me.

I shook my head. Truthfully, I wasn't remembering much of anything at the moment. I was a bit distracted by the chaos outside the TARDIS' doors to recall any of my mother's tales.

Sighing, my mother reminded me, "I named her Ameretat because she was at both the beginning and the end of the universe. You must remember that every living thing deserves a name."

I nodded, still confused. "Mama…" I began to ask 'Are we going to die?' but was too afraid of the answer to finish the question.

My mother startled me by placing a silver chain around my neck. I reached up, and held the attached pocket-watch, large white-point star diamond inlaid inside a ring, and the key to the TARDIS. As I studied the items, a terrible realization overcame me.

"Mama! No!" I cried, desperately. "I can't even fly the TARDIS! I'm not a Time-lord!"

"Ameretat is fully-sentient; she will fly herself," my mother informed me. "Sit down, and focus on a ripple in the time-lock."

"No! Mama, I want to stay with you!" I insisted, tears now streaming down my face.

My mother took me by the shoulders, and squatted down, so she could look into my eyes. "What do I always tell you? Every life I save is a victory. Permit your poor mother one last victory before she dies," she told me in such a cool and calm voice that I stopped being rebellious. She added, almost sadly, "I want you to live with the Tellurians; the life I never got to live. I wanted to send you away long before, but I was prevented. I never wanted you to witness this Time-War. I wanted you to have a peaceful childhood, as a human. Let me give you part of your childhood back."

"Okay, Mama," I replied, softly. I wiped the tears from my eyes, and sat on the floor of Ameretat.

As I closed my eyes, my mother instructed me, "You must focus every bit of your will-power on the ripple. Feel yourself going through the ripple; don't think of anything else."

Visions of streams and lakes flooded my vision. I imagined throwing stones, and watching the ripples moving outward; I imagined diving into lakes, and imagined the smoothness of the water coursing over my body as I disappeared into the watery depths.

In my trance-like state, I was not aware that my mother had set the coordinates. Nor was I aware that she hesitated briefly at the door to call over her shoulder in a whisper, "Anomaly, good-bye. I love you." I wasn't aware of anything except the ripple, and the feeling of gliding through a smooth surface. Somewhere deeper, I could feel desperation to escape Gallifrey rising inside me.

_I must escape Gallifrey… Please, permit me to exit Gallifrey… _

I imagined living a normal life on a planet that was peaceful, and I imagined that ripple, so vividly that I was briefly oblivious to the burning sensation overtaking my body. In the next moments, my memory became foggy, and I realized I couldn't remember even the most recent events. As my vision darkened, I fought to remain conscious, but it was impossible.

Initially, the TARDIS was incredibly stable, but without warning, it suddenly jolted, and seemed to flip upside down. As the gravity re-orientated itself to the floor, I shrieked, and felt myself slide uncontrollably across the floor. When I collided with a metal railing, I felt my skin tear open, and the burning sensation increased exponentially. Unable to remain awake in such an agonizing state, I finally gave in to the darkness.

As the darkness overcame me, I whispered, "Ameretat…" Not knowing why, but feeling that I was not alone, and that it was important to say something to the one who was with me.

For a moment, I thought someone replied to my call, but in that instant, the darkness overtook me completely.

* * *

><p>All right... I know I still haven't finished re-writing <em>Not my Time<em>, and that posting a new story is probably a terrible decision... But I was inspired, and I thought a crossover between _Doctor Who_ and _Vampire Knight _could be interesting (to say the least).

Notes:  
>Ameretat: pronounced: aa-mehr-a-taat; Persian for "immortality; eternity" (I'll be honest, the pronunciation is how I would personally pronounce this name; I can't find anything official on its pronunciation. If anyone knows its correct pronunciation, please, let me know.)<p>

By the way, I want to add a disclaimer to state that I have no idea how the time-lock works. In my story, I'm going to theorize that the time-lock is present in order to trap the Time-lords on Gallifrey, so that they have to fight in the Time-War. I'll also make claims later that all Time-lords were scooped out of time-and-space in order to fight during the Time-War. (To be honest, these theories seem to make sense... It would explain why the Doctor never meets other Time-lords...) I don't think I'm ruining my story by disclosing these details.

Please, review to let me know of any thoughts! I love reviews; constructive criticism welcome! :)

Cheers,  
>Mango<p> 


	2. Into the Unknown

_Disclaimer: I own neither Doctor Who nor Vampire Knight. I only own my characters and ideas._

_The Anomaly  
><em>_A Doctor Who/Vampire Knight Crossover_

Chapter Two: Into the Unknown

"What a brilliant young girl you are," an unfamiliar voice whispered to me. I felt a pair of arms wrapping around me, and carrying me a short distance before gently placing me on the ground.

Blinking a few times, I managed to clear my vision enough to make out the features of the man who was kneeling beside me. Close cropped hair, dark eyes, and even darker clothes initially made me fearful of the man next to me, but at second glance, something about the man made me trust him instinctively. When the man seemed to think it was best for him to leave, I quickly protested.

"Don't leave me," I demanded, weakly. "Please, stay…"

I felt hot, and my skin was sensitive. Even when nothing was coming into contact with it, my skin burned as if I'd lain in the sun for far too long. I'd reached up to grab the man's sleeve, but when my fingers began tingling painfully, I released him quickly.

Seeming to understand, the man remained beside me. He didn't look at me, and didn't appear at all certain what he should say to me, so I timidly asked after the man's name.

"The Doctor," he replied. He seemed surprised by his reply, and for a moment, he appeared to consider correcting himself, but never did. Suddenly, as if fearing more personal questions, the Doctor leapt to his feet. "Well, best be off. Have a lot to do. I expect someone will come 'round soon enough to collect you," he told me.

Surprised by the man's indecisiveness, I protested, "But… You..." I realized I wasn't certain what I wanted to say. Everything still felt so groggy. As the man began walking down the alleyway, I called out to him desperately, "Doctor! Doctor!"

Forcing myself to sit up, I watched the place I'd last been able to see the Doctor. "Doctor!" I called one final time, but the familiar sound of an unusual engine was my only answer. Knowing that he'd left me in the middle of an unfamiliar alleyway, I cursed the ground with a fierce glare.

_Well, I guess I should try to get up, and figure out where I am, _I thought, rationally. _That man was precious little help. _

Trying to walk out of the alleyway turned out to be a mistake. I had no trouble standing, but as soon as I tried to take a step forward, I took a dramatic nose-dive, and barely managed to catch myself on my arms. My still sensitive skin screamed at me to stop abusing it, and I determined that remaining on the ground would be my safest option for the next few minutes.

Regressing back into a sitting position, I began to take inventory of the injuries I'd procured during my fall to earth.

_Nothing more than a few scrapes… Could have been worse if I'd managed to hit my head on the concrete… I must be dizzier than I thought… Either that or clumsier…_

Glancing around, I noticed a bag lying nearby, and I reached for it. _This is mine… _I realized; although, I couldn't remember ever laying eyes on the bag before.

As I rifled through the bag in search of clues explaining my purpose in being in this alleyway, I began to feel as if I were being observed. Ceasing my actions immediately, I slowly raised my head, and noticed a boy lurking in the shadows. Despite the boy's aloofness, he appeared to be a typical young boy. In fact, the boy struck me as being too beautiful and alluring – he was much too perfect; so perfect he was frightening. When the boy suddenly moved out of the shadows, I leapt to my feet in one bound, then proceeded to collapse to my knees once more.

I managed to catch myself once more, but this time I managed to tear open the palms of my hands, and the new injuries antagonized my irritated skin even more.

_What is wrong with my accursed legs? _I wondered, feeling a wave of hot-anger overcome me.

Briefly, I was distracted by the boy kneeling down next to me; his jade green eyes reflected either true concern, or a convincing imitation of it. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to frighten you," he apologized. "I was just wondering if I could be of assistance. Are you lost? Or hurt? I heard someone crying out for a doctor; was that you?"

Not knowing which question to answer first, I stammered out the first response that came to mind. "Ahh… I don't know how I came here… but there was a man… Tall, dark… He brought me here… I think…"

The boy seemed to consider his next words carefully. Finally he asked, "Did the man do anything frightening to you?"

I hesitated because I hadn't expected to be asked such an odd question. "Y-Yes…" I answered, recalling the feeling of fear that had shot through me initially, as well as the feeling of abandonment as the Doctor had left me when I needed his support. As I attempted to recall events that had occurred before meeting the Doctor, blinding pain caused me to rub my head wearily.

"Is something wrong?" the boy asked me. Genuine concern showed in the boy's features, and I felt uncomfortable lying.

"I-I can't remember anything… And I feel both hot and cold…" I answered. "I don't know what's happening…"

"I think I might," the boy replied, sounding graver than before. His expression seemed to darken. "You'll have to come with me."

When the boy offered his hand, I hesitated. In fact, I simply stared at his hand for what seemed like a few minutes. If the Doctor had offered his hand, I would have taken it without a second-thought, but this boy… There was something uncanny about him… Taking his hand seemed as much the same as giving myself over to the control of a beast in human form.

"You won't be harmed, if you come with me," the boy assured me, speaking softly once more. "You'll be taken care-of."

Since he didn't seem willing to accept a refusal, I took his hand, despite my misgivings. He pulled me to my feet easily, and let me stabilize myself before letting me go. When I took a very shaky step, he asked, "Are you too dizzy to walk?"

I shook my head. "I think I'll be fine after a few steps…" I replied, already I was feeling much better. My head wasn't burning nearly as much as it had been. I even had the sense to ask the boy to grab my bag.

"Were you attending a Halloween party?" the boy asked, while he retrieved my bag. He zipped it quickly; I must have forgotten when I'd been startled by his presence.

Confused by the boy's question, I asked, "Halloween party? Is that a traditional Tellurian custom?"

Now the boy seemed confused. "A what?" A grin broke out across the boy's face suddenly. "Oh! I see… You're kidding... Are you dressed as an alien?"

I glanced down at my heliotrope colored robes, and realized the difference between the boy's outfit and my own. "I don't know… I guess," I answered.

"You can't remember that either?" the boy asked, looking a bit confused. "What is your least recent memory?"

Thinking as hard as I could, I glanced back at the place the Doctor had disappeared to. He'd carried me from somewhere… I glanced behind the boy, then moved to peer around the corner. From this vantage point, I could make out a familiar looking red phone-booth. However, in the blink of an eye, it had vanished.

"All I remember before that man is… a red phone-booth…" I admitted. "It was over there." I pointed to the location of the now missing red phone-booth.

The boy came, and followed my gaze. Looking utterly perplexed, he told me, "It seems that your memory has been wiped completely… There isn't a red phone-booth over there…"

"It disappeared," I explained calmly.

When the boy looked back at me, I could tell that he was incredibly concerned. Slowly, he replied, "Phone-booths don't just disappear…"

"But… I watched it disappear just now…" I insisted, quietly. I rubbed my head once more. Maybe there had never been a red phone-booth… Maybe I'd only imagined it. "At least… I thought I did…"

The boy took hold of one of my hands once more. Forcing a smile, he told me, "Your memory seems to be inaccurate… It's all right; you'll probably begin to remember once you've settled down."

I nodded; although, I wasn't certain what the boy meant. As he began leading me down the street, I asked, "Where are we going?"

Without looking at me, the boy answered, "To my house." Before I could ask anything further, he added, "I never asked… What's your name?"

Thinking a moment, I told him, "Lorna Fairchild. Yours?" Since the boy seemed to not want to be asked questions, I was quick to slip in a question of my own with my answer.

"Ichijou Takuma," the boy answered. He turned down another darkened alleyway. "How old are you, Lorna-chan?"

"Eight years old," I replied. "My birthday's on June the 20th."

For a moment, Takuma seemed distracted, but more than distracted, he seemed saddened. "Tell me about where you lived," he instructed, gently. "Do you have family? Parents?"

I nodded. "I live in Glasgow, Scotland with my parents. Lilith and Douglas Fairchild," I told him.

Once again the boy was startled. He was so startled that he immediately came to a halt. Turning to look at me carefully once more, he repeated in disbelief, "Scotland? Were you on vacation?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, I decided the safe response was to nod my agreement.

"You don't actually know that either… Huh… Do you know which country you're in right now?" Takuma asked me. I looked away from him, as I shook my head. "I didn't think you did… That memory wipe took all your memories… It must have been quite powerful…" After this speculation, he continued, "You're in Japan."

"Is that near Scotland?" I asked, innocently.

Takuma didn't seem to know whether to laugh or remain serious. Shaking his head, he answered, "Not really. Your Japanese is very good – for being from Scotland."

"Thanks…" I whispered, but I didn't feel warmth by the compliment. If anything, I felt greatly saddened; as if, there should be a significant reason why I could speak Japanese fluently.

"Oh… You're crying…" Takuma realized. Reaching out, he gently wiped away the tears in my eyes. "Are you remembering something?" he asked, softly.

Nodding, I answered, "I'm sad… I remember that I'm sad."

"Do you remember why?" Takuma questioned.

I shook my head. "I… can't remember…" I repeated. Ashamed of my inability to answer even simple questions, I blushed, and stared at the ground sullenly.

Trying to maintain an upbeat attitude, Takuma laughed, "That seems to be a thing with you. You're okay; the memories will return. When we get to my house, I'll make tea, and we can play a game, okay?"

Feeling myself smile a little, I asked, "What kind of game?"

"A word game," Takuma answered. "Do you like word games?"

I shrugged. "My mother used to give me riddles to work out. I'll do anything except riddles," I told him.

"You do remember something!" Takuma smiled. "What else do you remember about your mother?"

Obediently, I attempted to recollect my mother's face, but whenever I tried to focus on how she should look, I found that the memory grew dark. Thinking that I should at least know something about her personality, or about the little secret things a mother tells her daughter, I was startled to come up with only one word: Run.

"The last thing she told me… was to run…" I whispered distractedly. While I was attempting to remember why my mother had instructed me to run, I noticed that Takuma's smile had faded as soon as the word 'run' had been spoken. "Is something bothering you?"

Clearly not wanting me to know his true thoughts, Takuma plastered a false smile on his face, then told me, "No; everything's fine."

Although I wasn't convinced that Takuma wasn't bothered, I decided to remain silent. After walking for a few minutes through less populated streets and alleyways, we finally arrived at a large, wrought-iron gate.

The atmosphere around this location was incredibly dark – even darker than the atmosphere on the empty, silent streets we'd just walked through. While Takuma went to unlatch the gate, I seriously considered running away. However, when I glanced back toward the deserted streets of the town, I realized that nothing was certain if I left. At least I would be taken care-of by following Takuma.

A gentle hand on my shoulder drew me out of my thoughts. "Lorna-chan, come on," Takuma instructed. As if sensing my distaste for the atmosphere, Takuma reassured me, "I'll show you around the grounds before we go inside."

Still not completely reassured, I forced myself to nod a bit woodenly. Hearing the gates close with a loud _clang_ that seemed to resonate with the beating of my heart, I began to tremble without control. A feeling of entrapment overwhelmed me, and the battle to remain cool and calm would have been lost immediately, except that Takuma led me enthusiastically over to a koi pond, and began regaling me with the legends surrounding the fish.

Despite the fact that I neither heard nor comprehended what he was telling me, I began to feel myself relax once more. _If this boy is at ease in this place… then everything must be all right… Even if the atmosphere is dark… _

I was drawn out of my reverie by Takuma taking my arm, and leading me down a shadowy path which led to a large lake surrounded by an enormous flower-garden. While the flowers were beautiful, the view that entranced me was the sky. The full moon reflected enough light to see the details of the garden clearly, and Takuma quickly began to tell me about the different types of flowers that could bloom even in the coldest weather. It took him a few minutes to realize that I never once looked at what he was looking at; I was simply nodding occasionally, and following behind him.

"It is a very clear night," Takuma admitted; glancing at him, I realized he was blushing. He seemed embarrassed that he hadn't realized I wasn't interested in the flowers. "Would you like to stargaze on the pier? You would have a clear view from out there."

I nodded, and felt myself smile slightly. Not wanting Takuma to feel embarrassed for my disinterest in the topics he'd brought up, I told him, "It's not that I'm uninterested in flowers; I've just always been interested in stars and planets more." Flushing, I admitted, "I always thought it would be wonderful to travel throughout time-and-space. Reading about planets and stars and history in books just isn't enough. I want to experience it all first-hand."

When Takuma didn't respond, I glanced at him, and realized that he was guiltily looking away from me. Silently, he led me out onto the pier, and we lay down to stare at the stars above us.

"I never really took much notice of the constellations," Takuma admitted. "I guess I always just noted that the stars were present, and then went back to whatever I was doing. They never change, so I always overlook them."

As my eyes flickered toward the constellation Aquila, I summarized, "You mean, you took the stars for granted." After a moment's pause, I added, "And you're wrong, you know."

From the gasp I heard beside me, I realized being wrong – or at least, being told he was wrong – wasn't a common occurrence for the boy beside me. "Wrong? About what?"

"About the stars never changing," I answered. "They're always changing; it just takes years to notice the change because the stars are so far away that the light takes years to reach the earth. That's the reason I like the stars so much. It's like… a window into the past. For all we know, some of those stars are already dead, and new stars have been born."

I absent-mindedly fiddled with the chain around my neck. Drawing out the attached pocket-watch, key, and ring, I studied the diamond inlaid inside the ring. It was glowing slightly, and was warm to the touch.

"What's that?" Takuma asked, curiously. "May I see it?"

For some reason, I didn't want to take the items from around my neck, but I permitted Takuma to hold the diamond briefly.

"I've never seen anything like this diamond before…" Takuma whispered. "Where did you receive this from?"

"Gallifrey," I replied, without thinking. Shaking my head, I corrected, "Oh… I don't know why I said that…"

Takuma chuckled. "Is that in Scotland?"

I shrugged. "It must be," I answered, taking the ring from Takuma, as if that would prevent me from answering his questions senselessly.

For a while longer, I examined the pocket-watch, but decided that it was too uninteresting to attempt opening. The clasp appeared to be broken, anyway.

_This key, however… _I thought, holding the rusty key momentarily. _Ameretat… Why does that word come to mind when I look at this key?_

After a few minutes of silently staring into the starry night, I began to relax. I closed my eyes, and felt myself drifting off to sleep. I hadn't realized how exhausted I was until I'd closed my eyes; when I felt Takuma shake me gently, I almost didn't recognize him at all.

"_Arcadia is falling…"_

Takuma had said something quietly, but I couldn't hear him over the high-pitched whisper that seemed to echo inside my head. "Wh-What did you say?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"I asked if you would like to have tea and play a word game," Takuma repeated, patiently. "I'd like to speak with you some more before you fall asleep."

I nodded, and accepted Takuma's hand when he offered it. He pulled me easily to my feet, and led me back down the shadowy path. When we emerged, I noticed the large manor house, and I wondered how I couldn't have noticed it before.

Upon seeing the house, the first word that popped into my mind was 'extravagant.' This word was quickly followed by 'ancient' and 'timeless.' The grounds seemed to wrap themselves around the house effortlessly, and I wasn't certain whether the house hadn't been built before nature had arrived on the location.

"My grandfather likes traditional styles, so the interior is relatively simple," Takuma told me. He led me to the back of the house, and directly into the kitchen. "It's really a combination of traditional and contemporary architecture… Oh… You're not really interested, are you?"

As soon as we'd walked into the kitchen, I was fascinated by the ornate ceramic dishes displayed on open-shelves. I'd only been half-listening to what Takuma was telling me, and when I heard him taper-off, I immediately began feeling guilty once more. "Sorry… Not uninterested… just distracted," I admitted, sheepishly.

"You're sweet, Lorna-chan… but you don't have to pretend you're interested in something if you really aren't," Takuma informed me, smiling reassuringly. "Do you have a tea preference?"

I shook my head. "Anything's fine," I answered.

While he took a kettle from off a shelf, Takuma told me, "If you like, you can have a seat at the table." He indicated a table placed next to a window on the opposite side of the kitchen.

Shortly after I sat down, Takuma left briefly, then returned carrying a large book. From across the kitchen, I recognized it as a dictionary. He sat down next to me, and flipped to a seemingly random page.

"I thought we could play in English, since that's what you're used to speaking," Takuma explained. "I'll give you a word, and you tell me the first word or phrase that comes to mind."

"All right," I replied.

Most of the words were innocuous, but occasionally, Takuma would select a word more carefully, as if this word was one he had always intended to give me in order to gauge my reaction. It was obvious to me that these words were predetermined because he would act as if he couldn't think of another word to give me, but then he would flip directly to the page the word was written on, and would run his finger along the lists of words until he finally came across the word on his mind.

When the kettle began whistling, Takuma excused himself, and went to add the water to a teapot he'd selected earlier. While he was busy mixing tea-leaves, I studied the dictionary, and flipped through the pages.

_Just as I expected… These pages are marked… He's written down the word he's wanted to ask me on the markers… _After warily glancing across the kitchen at Takuma to confirm that he was still distracted by the tea, I made a mental list of the words he'd selected. _Fangs, fear, red, dark, run… vampire… These words all go together with vampire… Does that mean… _

Abruptly, I sat back in my seat, and turned my attention to the landscape visible from the window. Despite appearances, I was not considering the beauty of the flowers or the trees, but instead I was tying all the loose-ends together.

_I knew it all along, really… He was too perfect… out at night… He's only about twelve, and out this late on his own…_ I chose to ignore the fact that I was four years his junior, and also out at night alone._ And in the garden, he'd seemed capable of seeing details that I couldn't have made out… He must be…_

My thoughts were interrupted by Takuma coming back to the table with the tea he'd made. "Rose tea," he announced, smiling as he poured the tea into the cups. "Would you like sugar?"

I shook my head. As he set the cup in front of me, I wondered, _Should I reveal that I know his secret now? He's so bright and cheerful. If he were going to harm me, wouldn't he have done so already? _Eyeing Takuma suspiciously, I noted that he seemed oblivious to the fact that I was aware of his true identity. _But after all… I am a human child… He probably doesn't expect that I have the ability to catch on this quickly. _

Once again, I was drawn out of my thoughts by Takuma giving me a word unrelated to vampires. "Sky," he said, already beginning his pretend search for a word he'd already marked.

"Orange," I answered, still distracted by trying to determine when to reveal the knowledge I'd procured.

However, the next word surprised me because it seemed to be a spur of the moment decision – unlike what I'd expected. "Time," Takuma said, watching me more carefully.

"Lord," I answered instinctively. I flushed, as I realized how unrelated these two words were. "They just seem to go together somehow…" I whispered, almost to myself.

After receiving an odd expression from Takuma, he continued with a word I'd already anticipated. "Fear."

"Shadows," I answered, thoughtlessly. Blushing furiously once more, I quickly distracted myself by drinking my tea. _What must he think of me when I'm afraid of my own shadow?_

Takuma couldn't quite hide his amusement at my answer, but he quickly comforted me, "It's not such an irrational fear. Shadows often conceal dangerous beings… Although… Now that I think about it… This might not be the reassurance you'd like to hear…"

Surprisingly enough, I found that his advice made me feel more relaxed. As he realized that he'd only made me believe in the fear's rationality, I giggled behind my tea-cup.

For a while after that, I managed to push my suspicions to the back of my mind. Surely this good-natured boy didn't intend to harm me; although, the more I considered the game we played, the more I worried that he was toying with me. _Maybe he hasn't been taught not to play with his food yet… _

When Takuma arrived at the final word on his list, I knew that one of us would ultimately reveal the truth, and I was determined to at least control the initial reaction. "Vampire," Takuma stated, and he gave me perhaps the darkest, most intense stare I'd ever received.

Coolly, I replied, "Ichijou Takuma."

Startled, Takuma opened his mouth, and my theory was immediately confirmed. Two incredibly sharp looking fangs were clearly visible. Noticing my gaze upon his mouth, Takuma quickly closed his mouth in order to conceal his fangs once more. In the moments that followed, I wondered who was more frightened: Myself or Takuma.

Undoubtedly, Takuma had not intended to reveal his true identity in this manner, and this unexpected turn-of-events seemed to have left him with no idea as to how to rectify the situation. I, on the other hand, had not wanted to have my suspicions proven, despite my certainty. Now that I knew without a doubt that Takuma was indeed a vampire, I was faced with the realization that I'd entrapped myself with him.

I don't know how long we sat there, staring at each other, and waiting for the other to do something first. After a while, Takuma questioned, "Why haven't you run-off? Most humans would have attempted to escape."

Shrugging, I acknowledged, "There doesn't seem to be much of a point in running away."

Despite my words, I was wondering why I hadn't run off as soon as I'd suspected Takuma was a vampire. In fact, I was feeling slightly foolish for getting drawn this far into his trap. _If only I weren't so curious… If I hadn't been so set on learning the truth… On confirming my suspicions…_

"Lorna-chan…" I felt Takuma take my hands gently in his own. "Please, don't be frightened of me. I don't want to harm you. I brought you here because I didn't want to leave you on the street – not because I wanted to eat you."

Hesitantly, I pulled my hands out of his grip; he released me easily, and I relaxed slightly. _He isn't trying to overpower me… Maybe he only intended to ensure that I had food and shelter… Of course… then it doesn't make sense why he wanted to play a game which would lead me to discover his identity. _

"You planned out that word game…" I theorized aloud. "Why?"

Sighing, Takuma withdrew a sheet of paper from the back of the dictionary. "I wanted to confirm as much as possible before telling you… In fact, I don't really have to tell you anything, but I would have felt guilty if you'd been forced to learn it from my grandfather. The truth is going to be difficult enough without him…" He didn't finish his statement; instead, he shook his head, as if he didn't want to think about it.

"The truth about what?" I asked, perplexed. For some reason, I felt as if he were about to inform me that I was now in his family's debt, and that I wouldn't be able to leave the Ichijou Manor ever again.

Takuma moved the paper closer to me, so I could see it clearly. Glancing over it, I noticed the rough sketch of a pyramid, and the notations off to the side. Patiently, Takuma waited for me to finish studying the notes before speaking further on the subject.

'_Hierarchy of the Vampire Society…' _I read silently. _'Level A: Purebloods; Level B: Nobles; Level C: Commons… Level D: Former humans…' He's placed an asterisk next to this one. Asterisk indicates that the only way for a human to become a vampire is to be bitten by a Pureblood, and that former humans are managed by the Noble vampires. _

Below the pyramid, Takuma had labeled a separate category as 'Level E,' but hadn't explained what it was, or why it was outside the pyramid. In another area he'd outlined symptoms that would be present if a human had been bitten by a Pureblood vampire. _A feeling of being both hot and cold; overly sensitive skin – often presenting with a burning sensation; dizziness; muscle weakness or spasms; tightness in the chest; red-tinted vision, or seeing double; memory loss._

Suddenly a wave of cold settled over me, and I began shivering uncontrollably, despite my heavy robes. My mind whirring, I recalled how I had exhibited most, if not all, of these symptoms shortly prior to Takuma finding me in the alleyway. _He has to be joking… This is some sort of cruel prank… He must have watched from the shadows for longer than I noticed him…_

"I take it you've had more of these symptoms?" Takuma asked; his voice was cool and calm, but caring.

Uncertain what to do now, I shook my head, as if that would cause this nightmare to fall away. _This isn't real… This isn't happening… I'll wake up in a bit; at home with… _Clenching my eyes shut, I repeated my convictions over to myself. _I am not turning into a vampire; I am a human named Lorna Fairchild whose parents are called Douglas and Lilith Fairchild, and who are from Glasgow, Scotland. _

When I felt Takuma take my hands once more, I opened my eyes. Seeing him once more made my heart race with anxiety and fear, and I couldn't quite resist the urge to cry.

Wiping away my tears gently, Takuma apologized, "Lorna-chan, I'm not trying to make you upset. I'm really shaken by this situation, too. Unfortunately, all the evidence suggests that you and your family fell victim to a Pureblood vampire. I don't know why it attacked your family, and I don't understand how you managed to get away, but it is apparent that you encountered someone with enough power to wipe out your entire memory. The only information left with you is basic information, or anything you felt so strongly about that it was impossible to eradicate completely."

I shook my head again, and insisted, "No; I can't remember what happened, but I was not bitten by any vampire. I'm certain that is something I would remember."

"Not necessarily," Takuma countered, calmly. "Many victims of Purebloods have their memories removed, or at least, the memory of being bitten. In the vampire society, turning an unwilling human into a vampire is illegal, so Purebloods routinely cover up their actions."

"You can't expect me to believe that's enough to prove I was attacked by a Pureblood," I replied, pointedly. "For all you know, I fell, and knocked myself out. Hitting my head would cause all of the 'symptoms' I've experienced."

Takuma shook his head, and looked away before answering apologetically, "I'm sorry, but there was something I left out." Prompted by my quizzical expression, he continued, "Lorna-chan, your robes are soaked with blood, but..." Pausing to direct my attention to the mangled sleeve of my robe, Takuma finished, "You have no injuries."

Surveying the region that should have been a grievous injury, I realized the flesh was not so much as scarred. Curiously, I examined the palms of my hands, and discovered that the scrapes I'd procured only hours before had already healed, as well. "But..." I whispered, trying to find a reason the wounds would heal quickly that did not include transforming from a human into a vampire, but unable to discover one.

"Vampires heal quickly; even before the conversion is complete, former humans possess this ability," Takuma explained. "It must be shocking for you, but... it's definitive."

Nervously, I wiped my eyes, as if my actions would prevent tears from falling again. "Is that why you appeared in the alleyway?" I asked.

"You mean to ask whether the scent of your blood drew me?" Takuma questioned. When I nodded, he replied, "Yes. I was several streets away, but I could smell your blood clearly. I'm inexperienced in this area - normally it's my grandfather who deals with former humans - but I was the only one around, so I went after you. That's the reason I was so hesitant to tell you my suspicions; I wasn't certain whether the scent you possessed was that of a former human."

My next question was difficult to force myself to ask. "Level E is detached from the pyramid… Why?"

"At some point, most – if not all – former humans reach a state that is referred to as level E. In this state, former humans cannot ignore their desire for blood, and they attack indiscriminately. It doesn't matter how much blood they consume; they'll always be searching for more," Takuma told me. "The only way to stabilize a former human's condition is to drink the blood of the Pureblood who turned them into a vampire. I cannot tell you whether or not you're stabilized at the moment, so it would be safer to assume that eventually you'll fall into the level E category."

After listening to Takuma's explanation, I stared resolutely at the ceramic dishes on the table. Despite the obvious difference between our social levels, Takuma had chosen to be kind. He could have locked me away without informing me about what had occurred, and certainly without trying to comfort me.

"I don't feel like a vampire," I admitted, still looking at one of the ceramic dishes. "I feel like a human. Is it possible to fight the conversion?"

"Yes; for a time," Takuma acknowledged. "But eventually the conversion becomes uncontrollable." Briefly he paused, then added, "Especially for a child. To be honest, children aren't able to resist long."

For some reason, I couldn't resist laughing lightly. "When someone asks that sort of question, you're supposed to lie. 'Little lies are good for the soul,'[1]" I reminded him.

To my surprise, Takuma did not reflect my sentiments. Instead, he looked saddened. "I believe in this instance that knowing the truth will make it easier for you," he informed me, seriously. "Even if I lied to you, my grandfather won't mince words when he meets you, so I think it best that I not give you false hope."

"In the meantime… What will be done with me?" I asked, hesitating slightly.

"You'll be kept here under supervision," Takuma replied, calmly. "My grandfather will be in charge of your fate, so I can't really give you details. I've come up with an idea that might help you live a semi-normal life, but I don't know whether my grandfather will agree or not. I won't tell you what my idea is because I don't want you to get your hopes up too high."

Still not fully convinced that I was about to become a vampire, I continued to stare at the ceramic dishes on the table. Without realizing it, I began fiddling with the items around my neck once more. My fingers traced the outline of the old rusted out key, and I was surprised once more by the familiarity of it. _Ameretat… That word always comes to mind when I think about this key… But why? _

Unintentionally, I tapped the diamond with the key, and a white-hot pain spread from my hand to my head. Immediately, I released the items, and mumbled, "Ow…"

At that same moment, indistinct events flashed through my mind. _A red phone-booth disappearing into the night… The door to a red phone-booth being opened, but when I entered it was not a phone-booth at all… A control console… beautiful and gleaming… Bigger on the inside… _

"_I will take you anywhere and everywhere." _

These words were not spoken, but I felt them as I remembered that Ameretat was the name of that wonderful red phone-booth that could travel throughout time-and-space. What I could not remember was whether Ameretat was real or imaginary.

Shaking my head, I chided myself, _A box that travels throughout time-and-space? Of course, that's imaginary! Who could ever create such a wonderful invention? _

Takuma's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Are you all right?"

Without looking at him, I nodded. "I'm fine; I just remembered some stories I had been told," I replied.

"There was a little white spark… when you tapped that key to the diamond…" Takuma told me; although, he might as well have been speaking to himself. "Or perhaps I imagined it."

Another question popped into my mind at his words. "I want to keep these items with me," I stated. "Is that all right?"

Smiling a little sadly, Takuma responded, "It is with me, but my grandfather will more than likely have other ideas… He's under the impression that possessions that belong to former humans rightfully belong to him." He held out a hand, as he continued, "I can hold onto them for you. He'll never know about them if he doesn't see you with them, and I can keep them safe for you."

I shook my head. "They must remain with me, at all times," I informed him, calmly. "It isn't sentimental; I think… these would be dangerous with anyone else."

Takuma couldn't hide his amusement at my belief in the damaging effects the items could have. Laughing slightly, he asked rhetorically, "A rusty key, a broken pocket-watch, and a large diamond? Those are dangerous?"

Holding the items loosely, I stared morosely at the table. If Takuma didn't believe my beliefs, then his grandfather certainly wouldn't.

"I'm sorry, Lorna-chan. I know they must mean a lot to you," Takuma told me, apologetically. "If I were desperate to keep valuable items with me, I guess I'd claim they were dangerous, too." After a moment, he asked, "Are you certain you don't want me to look after them for you? I promise you that I won't turn them over to my grandfather."

I shook my head. "I really can't," I replied. "I'll think of something."

Takuma rubbed the back of his neck, and stared at the ceiling worriedly. "I wish I could help you more," he admitted.

Uncertain about what I could possibly say, I simply remained quiet, and waited for Takuma to tell me what I needed to do. While I waited, I stared out the window, and watched the sun rise in the distance. When the light began to reveal the true colors of nature, I felt my eyes widen considerably.

Without thinking, I leapt up so quickly that my chair fell backward. As I faced the window, I felt my expression change from disbelief to wonder, and I discovered that beyond the window was a world I'd never seen before. Green grass, and blue skies, and red roses, and trees with yellow-golden leaves fascinated me to the extent that I wasn't aware Takuma had risen until his hand rested on my shoulder.

"Lorna-chan, what's wrong?" he asked. Wrenching my eyes away from the beauty of the daylight, I glanced up at him, and realized his other hand was shielding his eyes from the sun's rays.

"Nothing; I was going to ask if we could go outside, but actually that doesn't seem like such a good idea now," I answered, still watching him flinch in the light from the sun. I turned back to the window, and continued, "It's just that… I've never seen such a variety of colors in one place."

Forcing a smile, Takuma tried to sound excited when he told me, "Of course, we can go outside for a few minutes. The sunlight won't harm me; my eyes will adjust… eventually. We can go to the lake. It's certain to be beautiful during the daytime."

Although I wanted to protest due to Takuma's clear discomfort with the sunlight, he led me outside, and down the path toward the lake before I could say a word. "Just for a little while, okay, Lorna-chan?" he said, glancing at me while we walked in the shade of the tree-lined path.

I nodded, and smiled brightly. "I really appreciate this," I told him, as we emerged into the sunlight.

The garden was stunning in the daylight, and I suddenly realized why Takuma had been so interested in telling me about its flowers. The garden itself was enormous, and I was certain it contained every flower imaginable. Some parts had been left to grow wild; such as, a flower bed of entangled rose bushes, but others were carefully planned out to make specific patterns of color. I was drawn to the brightest colors first, and then the more unique flowers.

"Dear Lord…" I heard Takuma say behind me. I felt him take hold of a lock of my hair. "I see exceedingly well in the dark, but I never imagined your hair was that red. I can't tell which is brighter: The sun or your hair!"

Grinning, I looked up at him. "Yeah… My mother used to forbid me from lying in the grass because she could never find me," I told him without considering what I was saying. "She said I blended in too well."

"You're funny, Lorna-chan," Takuma told me, smiling. He took my arm, and practically dragged me toward the rose bushes. "Here. I tried showing you these roses last night, but you didn't seem interested." When we were in front of them, he explained, "These roses bloom only once every ten years. They die as soon as you pick them."

"That's so sad… I wonder why," I whispered, studying the roses carefully.

"My mother used to say that the life-cycle of this rose is to remind us that even when we think something has left us forever, it will eventually be returned," Takuma told me. "And she told me that the rose withers away as soon as it's picked to remind us that life is sometimes fleeting."

I fingered the diamond on my necklace lightly, as I thought about what I wanted to do next. _No… that's too sad… I don't want to watch something die in front of me… But… at the same time, I'm so curious…_

"You want to pick one, don't you?" Takuma realized; he seemed more amused than upset by my desire to watch something die in my hand.

I nodded, slowly, but replied, "But I won't. Curiosity is fleeting; I'll move on to something else in a moment."

Takuma shrugged. "It's fine if you pick one. This bush is the last of its species, but nobody will ever know if one rose is missing," he assured me.

Since Takuma seemed certain that picking one rose wouldn't do any harm, I stopped fingering the diamond, and instead reached for one of the roses. Despite my curiosity, a part of me cried out in protest, and hated the idea that I was killing something so lovely.

_Please… Don't actually die… _I found myself begging the plant silently, as my fingers closed around one of the delicate stems. It separated easily from the vine, and I examined it closely once it was free of its branch.

"It didn't wither," Takuma whispered. "But that's… never happened before."

We both stared at the rose for a moment, as if expecting it to wither away any second. However, instead of withering, the rose regressed into a rosebud before our eyes.

"It's alive…" Takuma realized; his eyes were wide in surprise. "How is that possible? It's been separated from anything that might be keeping it alive… It must be… some sort of anomaly…"

Silently, I continued to study the rose. Finally, I asked Takuma, "Could we put this in a stand?"

Smiling once more, Takuma nodded. "I will, as long as you'll let me add it to my collection," he answered.

I agreed, "That's fine. What do you collect?"

Takuma shrugged, then replied with a laugh, "Anything I find interesting. I invent rules to organize my collection by, but actually… I just tell people that to make them more confused when they see my collection." He blushed, despite not being embarrassed at all by his devious prank.

He led me back to the manor house, and into the kitchen once more. While he searched for a suitable container for the rose, he informed me, "My grandfather had business in Osaka today, and he won't return until this evening, so you don't have to meet him yet. I really hate to do this, but it's my grandfather's rules… so…" He was momentarily distracted by reaching for a small glass jar on the top shelf. Once he'd managed to reach it, and climb off the counter safely, he continued, "I'll have to lock you up during the daytime. You'll be let out at nightfall; we just can't permit level D vampires to roam the grounds freely because they'll escape. I like to believe the best of everybody, but… we really can't afford to make exceptions…"

Although it should have been the idea of being locked away that hurt, the nonchalant attitude Takuma had toward this protocol is what caused me distress. He was only four years older than me, but it already seemed to be programmed into him that level D vampires could not be trusted on their own.

Oblivious to my concern over the protocol established in the Ichijou household, Takuma took the rose from me, and carefully positioned it inside the jar before sealing the lid on loosely. "There," he announced, looking at the rose proudly. "Would you like to name it, Lorna-chan? My mother always tells me that living things deserve to be named."

I jolted slightly at hearing him address me as if he hadn't just informed me that I would be locked away during daylight hours. "Antigone," I replied hastily to cover up my initial reaction.

"Clever name," Takuma commended, smiling over his shoulder at me. When he saw the distressed expression on my face, his smile faded quickly. "You're upset… It's about being locked away, isn't it?" Without waiting for my response, he continued, "It must be done. If my grandfather thought I wasn't enforcing his rules, we'd both be in trouble. I can't have him believing that I would willingly break his rules; he would never consider my idea then. You'll have to trust me."

Since it was obvious that I couldn't negotiate, I nodded my head without looking at Takuma. "Well… nobody really likes being locked-up, but…" I hesitated before finishing, "You mentioned it so offhandedly that I was troubled."

"Oh… It's not that I don't care… It's just that…" Takuma rubbed the back of his neck nervously again, then continued, "I've seen what vampires will do once they can't resist their desire for blood. You haven't been a vampire long enough to really understand how strong the desire will be… You're not the first to underestimate it… We had a level D a few years ago who was convinced nothing was wrong with her, and she escaped. A few months later, she degenerated into level E, and killed at least six humans…"

_Being locked-up really is necessary then… Although… I still don't believe that I am a vampire… I feel so human… How could I ever be something else?_

Staring at the floor, I considered how long I would have before I was no longer able to ignore the changes Takuma was so certain would occur. If he was telling me the truth, I wouldn't have more than a few months before the vampire within me consumed all my humanity. _I'm becoming a monster… _I realized. _But I don't want that… I want to live a normal, human life. I don't want to lose myself, or hurt others._

Once again, Takuma rested a hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault, Lorna-chan. You didn't ask for this," he told me. "I really want you to try to get some rest before you meet my grandfather, so I'll take you to your room." He picked up my bag for me. As we set off, he continued, "I'll be back around six-thirty this evening to give you time to get ready to meet my grandfather."

While we walked through the mansion, I glanced around at my surroundings. Despite the simplicity, the interior of the house was elegant. Vases of flowers, oil paintings, and small decorative tables were placed at certain intervals, and complemented the custom hardwood floors.

"It's very traditional," Takuma told me – repeating what he'd said earlier. "It gets a little boring after a while, and everything looks the same, so you'll probably get lost at least twice every day. I grew up in this house, and sometimes I still get turned around."

I giggled, and noticed that a pattern seemed to be revealing itself. By the fourth hallway we walked through, I knew that I would first see a flower, then I would see a painting, and then I would see a table, then another painting, and finally another flower. Soon afterward, the hallway would bend, and the pattern would repeat itself.

Finally, Takuma stopped at a door, and slid it open to reveal an unadorned, narrow, stone stairway. A deep cold radiated from the passageway, and I felt my heart skip a beat, as I came to an abrupt halt. Momentarily, I stood frozen to the spot, unable to bring myself to continue.

"I wish I could tell you that you'll get used to this," Takuma whispered, and I noticed that he too seemed to not want to continue. "But even I cannot grow accustomed to the atmosphere."

"That's comforting," I mumbled. Steeling myself, I strode toward the doorway, as if I weren't terrified at all of being trapped inside a dungeon. "Is there a light switch?" I called over my shoulder.

As the lights flickered on, and cast a dim light that was only a marginal improvement over the darkness, Takuma complimented me. "You're pretty brave for a child; we've had adults who have wept, and refused to continue for hours."

I didn't reply, as I stepped carefully off the last stair, and waited for Takuma to instruct me on where to go next. While I waited, I peered about the dungeon.

At right angles to each other were two narrow hallways. Numerous metal doors lined each hallway; each door equipped with three separate locks. Because of the dim lighting, I could not tell how far the hallways stretched, or how many doors they contained. However, in the distance, I could hear the rattling of chains, and cries demanding release.

"Those are level E vampires," Takuma explained. "Level D vampires are kept in separate rooms until they fall to level E status."

I nodded to indicate that I'd heard him, but I was distracted by the cries coming from the darkness. It was almost impossible to decide whether I felt afraid of the vampires, or if I felt pity for them. Another part of me felt afraid that I would become like them, but I was surprised by how small that part of me was. I was still very much convinced that I would never become a level E.

Takuma led me down one of the hallways, and deeper into the dungeon until the cries from the level E vampires could no longer be heard. Toward the middle of this hallway, he halted, and opened up one of the doors, then motioned for me to enter.

"I'll be back soon," Takuma assured me, handing my bag to me.

I nodded. "Is your grandfather really scary?" I asked, worriedly.

Forcing a smile, Takuma answered, "Don't worry about that right now, okay? When I come back for you in a few hours, I'll tell you precisely what's expected of you."

"All right," I replied. "Until then…"

"Sleep well," Takuma said, as he shut the door. A moment later, I heard the locks click into place.

It didn't take long to survey the room I'd been locked into. Besides a cot, the room contained only a small table and a chair. The room didn't have a window, so the only light came from a dim light bulb hanging in the center of the ceiling. The room was frigid, but only one blanket had been provided.

In an attempt to warm myself, I pulled the blanket off the cot, and wrapped it around myself. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I drew my bag close to me for extra warmth, and began rifling through its contents once more.

_Clothes… Nightgown… Hairbrush… _The items seemed completely ordinary until I discovered a notebook wedged into an inside pocket of the bag. Turning it over in my hands, I stared at the odd circles adorning the front and back covers. _What is this? _I wondered, opening the pages in the hope of finding a name or title page, but instead discovered that the pages were filled with similar circles as the covers. _What is this? Some sort of odd writing? Or doodles? Am I the type who doodles?_

Brows furrowed, I continued to turn the notebook over in my hands. It seemed so familiar somehow… _Well, of course it must be familiar! It was in your bag! It must be yours! _But why would I draw such strange circles over and over?

As I flipped through the pages of the notebook, a loose piece of paper fell into my lap. On the paper were strange symbols that made even less sense than the circles drawn inside the notebook.

_Must be some sort of code… Yes… That's it… _

Carefully, I placed the loose sheet of paper back inside the notebook, then put it off to the side. Searching through the bag, I found only one more unusual item which I found even more bizarre than the notebook.

_Is this some sort of flashlight? _I wondered, turning the metal rod-shaped object over in my hand. _It has a button here… Maybe…_

Holding the object straight up, I hit the button. A high-pitched sound resonated out of the object, and despite its glowing, I knew immediately that it was no flashlight. In the next instant, the light bulb shattered, and the room went dark.

Dropping the item, I quickly shook the glass and bits of wire out of my hair, and fumbled in the darkness as I attempted to brush the glass away from the cot.

_What is that thing? Did it destroy the light bulb, or was the light bulb just faulty? That light bulb certainly had seen better days… _

Curling up, I drew the blanket to me as much as possible. Strangely, the darkness comforted me slightly. Although I had known that I was by myself before the light had been shattered, the darkness made me feel as if I could potentially be anywhere. For all I knew, I could be asleep in my own bed – at my home. Wherever that was.

_This is just a dream. I'm really not becoming a vampire. I am human, and I am dreaming… _

Visions of a marvelous red phone-booth filled my dreams that night. A red phone-booth which took me to all the places I'd ever wanted to runaway to. I wasn't simply going to see the world, I was going to see all of the worlds, and all of time itself, and not only that, but I was going to be part of history.

In that dream, I created a heroic role for myself. I was not a human child who had been bitten by a Pureblood. I was not simple-minded, and frightened, and locked away; I was brilliant, and bold, and free. All the trials that had seemed so difficult in real life were nothing in comparison to the battles I fought inside my dreams.

But there was one thing that haunted my dreams much more than my reality: Loneliness.

Loneliness followed me like a shadow – creeping up on me when I least expected it. Just as I was beginning to feel satisfied with my accomplishment, the loneliness came to remind me that no matter how many worlds I helped save, there was something I could never have returned.

And it tortured me.

* * *

><p>Finally finished this chapter... I had a lot to cover, so sorry that it's a little long. I hope I didn't make my main character sound too adult-like... It's difficult to write her into the new setting because I have to consider that her true self grew up in an endless Time-War that turned her childhood into a living hell. : Makes it difficult to really understand how to balance her latent memories, and her oblivious human conscious.

Notes:  
>[1] I am pretty certain that this quote came out of an NCIS episode, so just thought I would point out that it did not originate from my mind.<br>Antigone: pronounced: an-TIG-aa-nee: from the Greek for "against birth"

Let me know what you think. I love receiving reviews, and constructive criticism is welcome. :)

Cheers,  
>Mango<p> 


	3. Ichiou

_Disclaimer: I own neither Doctor Who nor Vampire Knight. I only own my characters and ideas._

_The Anomaly  
><em>_A Doctor Who/Vampire Knight Crossover_

Chapter Three: Ichiou

Outside of Ichiou's office, I stared blankly down at my feet. During the night – or day – I'd dreamt of all manner of impossible things, yet the most impossible thing of all was the familiarity I seemed to have with the images flitting through my mind. Memories that had become segmented and forgotten during my waking hours had appeared clearly within my sleeping world. Before waking to the unlocking of the dungeon door, I'd been fixated on the watch worn about my neck. Even as I waited outside Ichiou's office, I recalled the horror with which I'd stared at the watch.

_Why? What's wrong with it? It looks like a watch… A corroded, and broken watch… It's nothing special…_

Despite believing the watch was meaningless, I double-checked that it was wrapped securely within the folds of the lavender scarf I wore. I had no intention of giving up my belongings to anyone.

I was drawn out of my reverie by Takuma emerging through the doorway.

"Lorna-chan, you may come in now," he told me, smiling reassuringly.

Hesitating slightly, I followed Takuma into Ichiou's office, but only managed to enter about a foot inside the room before being overtaken by the dark aura enveloping the man behind the desk. For a moment, I stared at Ichiou, and I felt my eyes widen as I realized that he was already glaring at me. Gulping, I glanced back at Takuma who was busy sliding the door closed behind us, and waited until he continued into the room before approaching Ichiou.

Standing next to Takuma made me feel slightly braver, but I was still unable to wrench my eyes away from the floor. Even without looking at Ichiou, I knew he was still glaring down at me, and I was certain at close range his glare would be even more crippling than before.

"So, this is the girl?" Ichiou asked, and as he spoke, I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. His voice was cold, and despite his apathetic tone, I sensed his inherent dislike of me. Although I had feared meeting with Ichiou would go poorly, I hadn't imagined Ichiou as being so unsympathetic.

While he and his grandson conversed briefly, I relaxed enough to begin looking about the office. The enormous bookcases lining one wall caught my eye first, and I studied the books and objects contained on them with relish. Most of the books pertained to legal studies, but some of the books contained information on historical events I'd never known of. A few books were so ancient that they appeared to be slowly turning to dust.

As I continued to glance around the room, I began to notice that despite the room being lit only by a few oil lamps, I could see the titles of the books and the ornate details on the bookcases with perfect clarity.

_Vampires see well in the dark… That's what Takuma told me yesterday… Could it be that I'm beginning to take on the biological traits of a vampire? When did that happen? _

Holding the ends of my scarf, and studying the white dress I wore, I suddenly realized that I had been able to see clearly even in the darkness of the dungeon. I had been so focused on preparing for my meeting with Ichiou that I hadn't noticed the difference in my abilities.

When Takuma placed a hand on my shoulder, I jolted, and glanced up at him quickly. "Do what he says," he instructed, softly.

Not understanding what was expected of me, because I hadn't been listening to their conversation, I simply continued to stare at Takuma. Finally, he gently pushed me in the direction of his grandfather, and I suddenly realized Ichiou's hand was outstretched. I stared at it, still uncertain of what I was expected to do.

"Wrist," Ichiou demanded, using the same apathetic tone as before.

Fighting my instinct to resist his demand, I moved closer to Ichiou, and extended my wrist slowly. Despite my fear of being bitten by Ichiou, I was unwilling to permit him to see me so much as tremble as he grasped my arm firmly. When Ichiou bowed his head low, and I felt his breath on my wrist, I couldn't quite suppress a whimper, and I felt myself tense as his fangs pricked my skin.

Initially, the pain of having my skin severed was excruciating, and I worried that the bite would leave permanent damage in its wake. Only moments after this worry, the pain subsided somewhat, and instead I felt only a dull throbbing that seemed to come-and-go with the beating of my heart. While Ichiou drank, a small trickle of blood escaped, and I watched as droplets of blood dripped onto Ichiou's desk in regular intervals. After a few mouthfuls, Ichiou pulled his fangs out of my wrist, and released me from his hold. Gratefully, I cradled my arm, and studied the bite-mark. As a burning and tingling sensation replaced the numbness, the wound became red and swollen.

"She's been stabilized," Ichiou informed his grandson, in the same bored tone as before, yet he seemed slightly disgruntled now. "Inform the senate member that she won't be joining the others."

At Ichiou's words, Takuma heaved a sigh of relief, and when I looked at him, I noticed he seemed to be smiling discreetly. As Takuma exited the room, I returned my attention to Ichiou.

To say that being alone with Ichiou was awkward would have been an understatement. Without Takuma, I felt unprotected, and Ichiou's glare seemed to become more severe than before.

"Children who have been stabilized are rare… Because so few tend to survive the conversion, most purebloods do not bother exchanging blood. Hmm…" Ichiou paused. His eyes bored into me, as if he were attempting to intimidate me into revealing my true purpose in coming to the Ichijou manor. After a pretentious sigh, Ichiou continued, "As a child who has exchanged blood with her master, you are granted legal rights in the vampire world. Furthermore, until you reach the age of eighteen years, the Ichijou family must supervise your development, and provide you with necessities." Pausing once more, Ichiou glared down at his desk, then added in a more disgruntled tone, "I want you to understand that providing for you does not entail equal treatment. Per my agreement with my grandson, you will be treated as if you had been adopted into this household; however, if you even attempt to run away, or if you break rules, I will not hesitate to reduce you to the status at which you belong."

Bowing my head slightly, I replied, "Yes; I understand." Briefly, I hesitated, then I added softly, but dauntlessly, "You must love your grandson very much, if you're willing to make exceptions when you neither wish them, nor are required to make them."

When Ichiou's response was to narrow his eyes further, I was not surprised. I expected for him to reprimand me, but I was surprised by what he chose to say. "I'm still not certain you aren't a weapon to be wielded against me," he informed me; his tone was no longer apathetic, but angry. "A stabilized former human child found near the property of the most powerful member of the vampire senate. You would make a good puppet with your disarming words, and innocent appearance."

Somewhere in the back of my mind a gruff, but not unkind voice spoke firmly. A comforting sensation settled over my body as its words resonated inside my head. "You are not a weapon. Be defiant, and dream of the stars."

Looking back up at Ichiou, I quickly denied, "I am not a puppet, or a weapon."

Ichiou snorted, derisively, and his lips tugged upward in what appeared to be a malicious grin. "That remains to be seen," he retorted, resuming his apathetic tone.

Opening a drawer of his desk, Ichiou removed a small folder. When he opened the folder, I noticed the photo Takuma had taken of me earlier, as well as the page I'd filled out with my physical and biographical information. Half of the information I'd filled in was false. I was unwilling to admit that I was still unable to remember what my parents looked like, or what job titles they'd held, so I'd imagined what I would want in a parent, and had written it on the page.

For a while, Ichiou scribed meticulously in small, neat handwriting, and I peered out the window. Time seemed to be stagnated as I stood waiting for Ichiou to finish his paperwork, and for Takuma to return. Outside the window, the trees swayed with the wind, and the stars shone clearly in the cloudless sky. In the distance, I could make out the lake Takuma and I had stargazed at the previous night, and I wished I could be lying on the pier instead of standing purposelessly in Ichiou's office.

After what felt like hours, Takuma finally returned, and Ichiou placed his pen down. While Takuma approached the desk, Ichiou retrieved a small dagger and an unusual bracelet from another drawer. Studying the four fangs positioned on the bracelet, I wondered whether the bracelet served a practical purpose.

Sensing my desire to understand what was happening, Takuma explained, "The bracelet is a charm. Aristocrats sometimes use items to mark former humans who are under their care. If the former human escapes into human society, the person who should have been responsible can be held accountable."

Nodding, I watched as Ichiou penned his name onto a sheet of paper, no larger than a thumbnail, which he placed on top of one of the charms connected to the bracelet. While Takuma followed suite, Ichiou instructed, "Write your name onto this sheet."

After writing my name, Ichiou placed it on its corresponding charm, then wordlessly grasped my hand so he could slice open one of my fingers. A droplet of blood fell onto the charm with my name, and I was startled to hear an angry hiss as it came into contact with the bracelet. While the hissing subsided, Takuma took the dagger from his grandfather, and sliced his own finger.

At the same moment Takuma sliced his finger open, I became aware of an overwhelmingly sweet aroma. Initially, I perceived the scent to be from the lamps in the office, and I wondered how I hadn't noticed it before. It wasn't until a stronger, more metallic scent permeated the room that I finally recognized the new scents as blood.

Frightened of my ability to discern the scent of different people's blood, I gasped, and covered my face quickly with my hands. Only when I felt Takuma's hand resting on my shoulder did I look at him from around my visual barrier.

"It's all right," he assured me. "As long as you don't lose yourself to the smell of blood, you can enjoy it."

Without responding, I lowered my hands. I wanted to deny that I found the smell of blood enjoyable, but I knew it would only be interpreted as reluctance. Truthfully, I was finding it difficult to breathe without a bizarre tickling sensation in my nose and throat, as if I'd inhaled pepper, and I wasn't certain whether I wasn't actually craving the blood that had been spilt.

"Takuma, there is no need to look so frightened," Ichiou informed his grandson. "She's still stable; the smell of blood triggered her fangs to develop."

In disbelief, I raised a hand to my mouth, and ran my finger over the tips of my teeth gently. Sure enough, where my normal-sized canine teeth had been, I discovered incredibly sharp fangs. They were still rather short – not even half the length of my incisors – and I could taste blood in my mouth as they continued to grow.

_I've really become a vampire… How is that possible? Yesterday I felt so human… Now I don't feel anything like a human… _I wondered, worriedly, as I stared at the ground.

When the scent of Ichiou's blood became stronger, I looked up from the floor. His wrist was extended toward me, as if he were offering to let me drink his blood, but I couldn't imagine why he was being so self-sacrificing. "Drink," Ichiou commanded when I didn't react immediately. "I don't have all night to waste on you."

Hesitating slightly, I approached the desk, and grasped Ichiou's wrist as I bent my head to drink. Trying hard to not inhale Ichiou's scent, I sucked in a mouthful of blood.

When I'd imagined what blood would taste like, I had never imagined it would reflect the feelings and memories of the person it belonged to. Although a faint taste of metal was present, the emotions Ichiou felt were much stronger than the literal taste of blood. Startled by this revelation, I quickly pulled away, and wiped the excess blood from my mouth. Thoughtlessly, I licked the blood off my hand before remembering that I should be fighting the urge to drink blood. It shamed me to think I was becoming a blood-thirsty monster.

Just as I was coming to my senses, Takuma held his wrist out to me. "My blood, too," he told me.

Resisting stubbornly, I protested, "I-I don't want any."

"It's for the charm," Takuma explained. "It works like a magnet. The blood inside your veins attracts the blood on the charms, and causes the markings on the paper, as well as our family's crest engraved on our charms, to be etched into your skin. It's practically painless, and when you turn eighteen years old, the writing simply disappears. But you need to have my blood in your body for it to work properly."

Calmly, Takuma bit into his own wrist, then offered it to me again. As the enticingly sweet aroma overwhelmed my senses, I felt a strange sort of longing that seemed to be clawing its way out of my chest. Along with the agonizing discomfort in my chest, I suddenly seemed to realize how thirsty I felt.

_Simply smelling blood is enough to make me thirsty? I've been in this office for hours, so maybe it's not the blood I'm craving. Maybe the scent is just making me aware of how parched I am… _

"Lorna-chan, drink," Takuma instructed. His tone was empathetic, as if he understood how conflicted I felt about my new-found desires.

Despite my conflicted emotions, I accepted Takuma's offered wrist, and lowered my head to drink. Unlike Ichiou's blood, Takuma's blood tasted similar to honey, and his emotions were gentle. Without thinking, I took several gulps before remembering that I was only drinking his blood to complete the charm.

"S-sorry," I whispered, pulling away from Takuma, and wiping my mouth.

Smiling placidly, Takuma took the bracelet off Ichiou's desk, then quickly fastened it around my left wrist. Although the bracelet was not fastened tightly, the charms remained attached to the underside of my wrist. Even when I held my wrist sideways, the charms did not remove themselves from the position in which Takuma had placed them.

"When the charms remove themselves from your wrist, the mark is finished," Takuma told me.

He watched as I continued to experiment with the bracelet, and laughed softly in amusement as I attempted to force the charms to detach themselves.

Only a moment later, the charms slackened, and in their places remained imprints of the images on the charms, as well as our names. After studying the red lines momentarily, I suddenly realized that they consisted of the blood we'd each spilled onto the charms.

Ichiou motioned me over to the desk, and I didn't need to be prompted to extend my wrist to him.

"Because you shared blood with your master, an identifying mark will appear under your name," Ichiou informed me. "Once it does, the charm will be complete."

Sure enough, a mark began to draw itself beneath my name. This mark began as a circle slightly larger than two centimeters, then a more intricate design filled the space inside a smaller circle. Two separate lines formed on the outside of this inner circle, and as the blood burned into my skin, the branches of the initial two lines separated to form an unusual figure-eight design that seemed astonishingly familiar.

While I stared at the design in an attempt to recall where I'd seen it before, a word written in Kanji appeared.

"The Anomaly," Takuma translated.

Removing the bracelet, Ichiou replied, "We'll check the records for a pureblood who goes by that title."

Opening yet another drawer, Ichiou removed a book similar to a ledger. Flipping through the ledger slowly, his expression grew increasingly dark. Eventually, he ceased looking at the recorded titles and names, and glared at me.

"You don't remember anything significant?" he asked, threatening me with his icy gaze.

I shook my head, but didn't trust myself to speak.

"Grandfather, it is possible that the pureblood who turned her isn't listed in the records. Some purebloods went to sleep over three-thousand years ago, and have only just awakened."

Narrowing his eyes, Ichiou replied, "I've seen that mark somewhere before. In an ancient manuscript." Briefly, Ichiou paused, then closed his ledger softly. "You may leave. I have other matters to attend to."

Taking hold of my hand, Takuma started pulling me out of the room. Just as we were about to exit, Ichiou reminded his grandson, "Remember that she is your responsibility. You look after her, and explain the rules of our society. Make certain she understands."

"Yes, Grandfather," Takuma called over his shoulder. As we entered the hall, he told me, "I'll show you to your new room. My grandfather and I agreed that you would be treated as if you had been adopted as a family member, if you had been stabilized. He didn't agree with my original proposition, so I decided not to compromise."

While Takuma continued speaking about the rules his grandfather had pertaining to the household, I returned to studying the mark on my arm. Like my possessions, the mark was both familiar and foreign – as if I'd seen it so many times that I had stopped noticing it.

"Does it bother you?" Takuma asked, worriedly. "I know it seems cruel that we mark former humans. Normally, only unstable former humans are marked, but children are special cases. Those who survive the conversion must be managed by aristocrats until they are of legal age because former human children tend to be anomalies. They gravitate toward extremes: Either becoming like the average vampire child, or simply going mad. Even those who are initially stabilized can be overcome when their biology continues to be re-written."

Frightened due to my rapidly changing biology, I closed my eyes. Maybe Takuma and his grandfather hadn't noticed how much I'd changed in one day. Maybe I still seemed very human, and they were granting me privileges due to ignorance. While I appreciated these privileges, I was afraid of what I would do if I lost control of myself. I'd already fed off Takuma without thinking twice about my actions.

"You're doing really well – given the circumstances," Takuma informed me when he noticed my downcast expression. "Most of the changes occurred while you were sleeping, and your mind just adapted to them effortlessly. It's impressive because former humans tend to become stressed for weeks while their biology mutates."

"Isn't it bad that it's happening so quickly?" I questioned. "So much has changed in one day; shouldn't it have been spread out more?"

Takuma shook his head. "If you hadn't exchanged blood, the rate at which you're changing would be alarming, but since you did share blood, this rate is precisely what we'd expect. The reason you're changing so quickly is because your DNA has all the necessary information to make the change into a stable vampire."

"Did your grandfather learn all this from tasting my blood?" I asked, skeptically.

"Yes; you could say that he has a refined palate. Due to his ability to identify blood types through taste, he can determine whether a former human has been stabilized. Vampires have no blood type, so when a former human exchanges blood with the pureblood who turned them, the former human loses their blood type."

"Oh…" I whispered, as I attempted to think of something more to say. Flushing, I realized that Ichiou must have been able to decipher my feelings and thoughts much more clearly than I'd been. Prior to tonight, I would never have guessed that drinking blood could be so intimate.

After another minute, Takuma paused in front of a set of doors, and quickly drew them aside. When he did, I was startled by the enormity of the space I'd been offered. Of course, after spending the day in a cell, anything looked ridiculously lavish, but the room I stood in was large enough to be split into two sections. On one side, a full-sized bed was layered in light green and purple covers, topped with countless pillows, and elegantly draped in heavy curtains; on the other, a cozy sitting area was arranged tastefully upon a Persian rug of light purple, and a wall was covered from floor to ceiling in bookcases.

"Much better than the dungeon, huh?" Takuma smiled, motioning me inside. "It's pretty bare right now, with the bookshelves empty, but we can come up with a list of books that you'd like pulled from our library and brought here. Your textbooks are on your desk already, but you'll probably want some pleasure reading material, too."

"Textbooks?" I asked, turning to look at the large, but empty, bookcases. On a desk built in between the bookcases were the textbooks Takuma referred to.

"We have a tutor come on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week," Takuma explained. "You'll be given an aptitude test tomorrow night to determine what lessons you'll study. Of course, it's expected that you'll be learning about vampire society and history first. I gave you an overview last night, but you're expected to understand it in much more detail now that you'll be integrated into our society."

I felt my expression fall again, and I returned my gaze to the floor. I had looked forward to studying, but I didn't want to be reminded any more about my loss of humanity.

"Lorna-chan, this is what you are now. It can't be reversed, so you need to accept it," Takuma informed me in a gentle, but firm tone.

Although part of me was ashamed to admit it, I couldn't help whispering, "I'm frightened."

"I know," Takuma replied, just as quietly. "But you're safe here. You'll be cared for, and well-treated. This household is ideal for a former human child because it is far enough away from human society that you won't feel the instinct to drink blood constantly."

Suddenly, I found myself hopeful, and I looked up at Takuma quickly. The manner in which Takuma spoke seemed to imply that drinking blood was optional for vampires. "Do you mean that I won't have to drink blood?" I asked, feeling both relieved and anxious.

Hesitantly, Takuma answered, "Well… We don't need blood to survive, but… we do need it to satisfy our cravings."

"But… It isn't as if I'm going to crave blood simply because I've been turned into a vampire…" I attempted to contradict Takuma's statement, but I knew it was only wishful thinking. Earlier during the night, I had desired Takuma's blood – even before I'd known what drinking blood felt like. The smell of blood alone had triggered my fangs to develop, and I still couldn't deny that odd sensation I'd been overcome with, or the fact that I'd needed to force myself to stop drinking from Takuma's wrist.

"I think you've realized by now that the craving for blood is the most powerful instinct vampires possess," Takuma stated. "Right now, your cravings are especially strong. They'll die down slightly after you've grown accustomed to them, but they'll never leave you. It is the curse that comes with the benefit of long-life and durability."

Swallowing nervously, I peered aimlessly around the room before finally returning my gaze to Takuma. I wanted to ask so many questions, but I was afraid of the answers I might receive.

"I'll leave you alone, so you can settle in," Takuma told me. "My room is across the hall, if you need me."

I nodded, then watched silently as Takuma quietly shut the door.

Turning toward the bed, I noticed that amongst the heaps of pillows was my bag. Eager to take inventory of the items, I went to sit on the edge of the bed. Momentarily, I was mesmerized by the softness of the bed, and the covers seemed to be made from silk. Running my hands over the covers several times, I relished the feel of the delicate fabric.

Although I was very tempted to curl up amongst the pillows, I forced myself to focus on the task of unpacking my bag. Besides, the bag was small. Unpacking wouldn't take more than a few minutes, and then I would be free to recover from my harrowing ordeal in the dungeon.

Setting to the task of organizing the possessions I'd brought with me, I went into my closet to gather a few hangers. While gathering the hangers, I noticed a door inside the closet, and when I opened it, I realized my bedroom had a private bathroom.

"Like a hidden paradise," I mumbled to myself, as I studied the stained glass window depicting a cherry blossom tree. "I can't believe.."

Feeling overwhelmed by the extravagance of my new room, I quickly grabbed as many hangers as I could carry, then returned hurriedly to my bedroom. Despite the relief that I felt over not being locked inside a dungeon, receiving a room fit for a noblewoman made me feel out of place. In fact, I was feeling a little upset that Takuma had arranged for a room this extravagant when he'd insisted only the day before that former humans couldn't be trusted.

"I don't understand that boy; I don't understand any of these people," I whispered. Pulling out several articles of clothing, I continued, "Last night, they locked me up; now, they treat me as if I'm family."

For several minutes, I systematically removed blouses, skirts, and dresses from my bag, then placed them carefully upon the hangers I'd taken from my closet. Before I knew what had happened, I had a pile of clothes nearly as tall as myself, and I'd run out of hangers. It took several trips to-and-from the closet in order to deposit the clothes onto their appropriate racks. Grabbing several more hangers, I returned to my sorting, and was surprised by the amount of clothes remaining inside my bag.

Continuing to sort through the items, I uncovered a large leather case that didn't seem as if it should be able to fit into the bag along with all the dresses and skirts I'd already unpacked. Curiously, I released the clasp on the case, and folded the flaps away to reveal the contents. Once I had, I gasped, and my eyes widened.

Contained inside the case was an old and beautiful set of ivory combs, brushes, and mirrors. Carefully, I removed one of the mirrors, and held it delicately in my hands. Despite my memories being inconsistent, I was certain I had never seen these items before. The mirror I held had intricate carving on its back and handle. The gold-tinged scene depicted a glass encased city nestled into a vast mountain range. Above the city and the mountains were two suns set side-by-side.

"Impossible…" I whispered. "This must be a mythological city… but… I don't know how I came by this…"

Placing the mirror down, I took one of the combs. Two delicate songbirds perched on slender branches were carved onto a lacey background. I was astounded by the ornate detail of the subject matter, and was still studying the comb's handle when I heard the door to my room slide open.

"Lorna-chan, I brought you something to eat," Takuma announced. "I'll put it over here."

Replacing the comb into its case, I watched as Takuma placed a tray onto the table in my sitting area. "Thanks," I replied.

Takuma turned back toward me, and crossed over to my bed. "You go eat. I'll put these away for you," he told me. When he noticed the set of ivory combs, his eyes grew wide, and he questioned, "Where did you get this? These are gorgeous."

"They were in my bag," I answered. "I don't know how, but the bag seems to be… uhm…"

When I remained silent, Takuma prompted, "The bag seems to be…"

"I know it seems odd, but… I think it's bigger on the inside," I finished, sheepishly.

Laughing lightly, Takuma placed a hand gently on my shoulder, then told me, "That's impossible. You must have just crammed everything inside. Here, put those combs onto your vanity, and I'll put away these dresses."

Although I was nearly certain the bag was magical, I nodded my agreement, then closed the leather casing, and re-latched it. Carrying the case over to the vanity, I placed it on the table-top, and stared at the circles embossed on the case. These circles were remarkably similar to the series of circles found in the notebook I'd leafed through the previous day.

_They look like… the gears of a clock… It's odd… They make me feel as if they ought to be symbolizing feelings and ideas… or demonstrating the connections of words… _

"How many outfits did you have in that bag?" Takuma called from the closet. "I thought I would have to take you shopping, but you have enough clothing to fill this entire closet. You even have four different pairs of shoes!"

Returning to the bag, I picked it up, and turned it around to see if it were larger than I'd originally thought, but the bag appeared the same as every time I'd looked at it. Small, and old, and falling apart at the seams, the bag didn't seem capable of holding all the items I'd withdrawn. In fact, I was surprised the bag hadn't fallen to pieces due to the excessive weight it had been expected to hold. Reaching inside, I was surprised to find that several heavy books had been placed at the bottom of the bag (or what I believed to be the bottom of the bag).

Withdrawing one of the books, I read the title aloud, "_British Culture through the Decade_."

The book was several hundred pages long, and at least a decade old, yet the texts covered every year until 2004, which Takuma claimed to be the current year. Confused, I turned back to the copyright information, but was only confused more by the information provided. "Year of publication… just Greek letters… and location… Gallifrey…"

Placing the book to the side, I quickly removed the last three books from the bag, then studied the titles. "_Basic Overview of Earthen Lore_… _Earthly Species and Where to find Them_… _The Art of Complicated Cooking_…"

Shaking my head at the absurd sounding titles, I rooted around the bag to ensure it was empty. Not to my surprise, I found that an item still remained. Sighing, I removed it.

It was another item with odd circles engraved into its metal casing. Turning it over in my hand, I realized the object had a golden clasp, as if it could be opened. Before I could open the object, Takuma re-entered my room, and I placed the object on top of the stack of books, then carried them over to one of the bookcases.

"There were books in there? How did all of this stuff fit?" Takuma asked. "I'm really beginning to believe your bag _is _bigger on the inside."

Smiling slightly, I turned back to face him, while replying, "I told you."

Smiling as well, Takuma crossed over to the sitting area, then pointed toward the tray he'd brought into my room earlier. "Come and eat, Lorna-chan," Takuma instructed, as he took a seat in a leather armchair.

Suddenly, I realized how hungry I felt. I had been so distracted by sorting through my belongings, I had not noticed the strange feeling in chest and throat, as if my body were completely dry. When I tried to take a deep breath, my chest felt heavy and painful. In an attempt to comfort myself, I wrapped my arms tightly around my chest.

Watching my bizarre reaction, Takuma quickly poured me a glass of dark red liquid that smelled similar to blood, but not nearly as strongly scented as the blood I'd encountered earlier. "Lorna-chan, this will help," he told me.

Nervously, I accepted the glass, then took a small sip. I could taste blood, but the emotions and memories were faint, and I could hardly distinguish them. Despite this fact, the concoction was pleasantly flavored, and it sent warm shivers coursing throughout my body. A feeling of extreme satisfaction fell over me the more I drank from the glass, and the achiness in my body dissipated.

Draining the rest of the glass, I replaced it on the tray, then sat on the small sofa.

"What is that?" I asked Takuma.

"Blood mixed with juice," he replied. "This substance is how vampires drink blood without involving humans. It isn't the most pleasurable way to drink blood, but it satisfies our cravings."

"It's blood that doesn't involve humans?" I questioned. Suspiciously, I wondered, "Are blood drives just a ruse to make humans willing to offer their blood to vampires?"

Snorting derisively, Takuma replied with a bit of sarcastic haughtiness, "Don't be absurd. Not all of them are."

I giggled in response, and felt myself relax slightly. I had felt so confused by the ordeal I'd been through tonight – even the fact that finally I was being treated with decency. But now I understood that the boy seated next to me was kind. His original plan must have been a compromise; he was aware of his grandfather's rules and procedures, but he'd wanted to spare me from the harsher protocols his grandfather enforced. Recalling Ichiou's words when he'd announced my stabilization, I unconsciously found myself asking, "What would have happened if I hadn't been stabilized?"

Takuma turned white at my question, and he looked at me with eyes wide with fright. In the next moment, he'd regained a cheerful visage, and he waved off my question. "You shouldn't be worrying about that, Lorna-chan," he replied. Quickly, he changed the subject, "There isn't a need to hide your necklace now. You have privileges now, so no need to be concerned."

"Necklace?" I repeated. Remembering that I'd hidden something inside my scarf, I quickly searched through the folds until I located the long chain. Compared to the ivory combs, the necklace was invaluable, yet I felt that it contained something more precious than all the wonders of the world.

"Why is it so important to you?" Takuma asked. "As far as the items you brought, this necklace seems to be the least valuable."

Carefully, I studied the watch, then answered, honestly, "I had a dream about this watch. It terrified me. I couldn't remember why… but…"

"Well, maybe you should open it. Maybe there's something inside," Takuma suggested.

For some bizarre reason, I didn't feel as if the watch was worth opening. At Takuma's suggestion, I simply stared at the watch. Finally, I decided to humor Takuma, but as soon as I placed my hand on the watch, the watch flared golden, and it became so hot that I was forced to drop the necklace onto the sofa.

Studying my hand, I was surprised to find there were no burns.

"What happened?" Takuma asked. "Why did you drop it?"

Shrugging, I told him, "Didn't mean to. It won't open; the clasp is broken."

Extending his hand, Takuma offered, "Maybe I can get it open."

Momentarily, I hesitated, then I picked the watch up by its chain, then deposited it into Takuma's hand.

Without struggle, Takuma depressed the clasp, and the watch opened freely. "It wasn't broken," Takuma commented. Turning the watch toward me, he added, "Only a watch. Nothing out of the ordinary here."

Sure enough, the watch was so ordinary that I felt silly for worrying about its safety. The interior of the watch was unadorned, and the gold plating was chipped in places, and faded in others. Even the clock hands appeared hesitant to keep time, despite the second hand ticking away. On the inside of the casing, a faded engraving of a mesmerizing series of figure eights and loops. Although I had never seen the inside of the watch, this engraving appeared incredibly familiar, and I attempted to recollect where I'd seen it before.

That's when it struck me.

The engraving inside the watch was the same as the mark that had appeared on my wrist.

My expression must have revealed the fear I felt, because Takuma turned the watch back toward himself. Studying it intently, he told me, "There isn't anything unusual about this watch. It's just old."

Forcing myself to smile, I held my hand out. "Sure it is. I'll have it back," I replied, coolly.

After closing the watch, Takuma studied the case a moment before handing it back to me. "It must have been very pretty when it was new… Although… it can't be that old… It has what looks to be a phone booth on it," he commented.

Curiously, I studied the front of the watch. Much to my own surprise, I realized Takuma was right. Partially obscured by rust, the image of a phone booth was hardly distinguishable. It was surrounded by the same inexplicable circles that were drawn into my notebook and embossed onto the leather case containing my set of ivory combs.

"Sometimes people like watches to look older than they are," I shrugged. "They think it gives them character."

I placed the chain around my neck, then fingered the diamond thoughtfully.

"Do you remember anything more from your past?" Takuma asked. "Earlier it seemed as though you were beginning to fill in the pieces, and now that you've gone through your bag…"

I shook my head, but then released the diamond, and looked up at Takuma to answer honestly, "I made up the information, and I'm only more confused by my possessions. I can't remember where half of them came from, or why I packed them. All I've discovered in the past twenty-four hours is that it must have been planned for me to go on a long journey."

For a moment, Takuma appeared to contemplate whether to inform me of some insight into why I might have been burdened with such an impressive array of possessions. Ultimately, he warned, "Lorna-chan, I think I might be cruel to say this to you, but… you might have been given to a pureblood."

Feeling more confused than upset, I repeated, "Given?"

Takuma nodded sagely, and I nearly laughed at the serious expression he wore. However, his eyes were cast downward, and their cheerful glisten was absent. Whatever he was wanting to tell me was difficult for him to place into words that didn't cause me to hurt more than I already did.

Continuing his explanation, Takuma stated, "Sometimes, humans ask to be turned into vampires in hope of longevity. Other times, they offer up someone else in exchange for wealth, or status, or protection. It's cruel, but in the vampire world, human children are considered 'legal tender,' as long as the child's parents consent to the exchange."

I should have felt saddened by the revelation that my mother might have willingly traded me for wealth or status, but a strange acceptance fell over me upon hearing Takuma's information. In that moment, I remembered something significant. "My mother…" I began, hesitating slightly, as the memory settled over me. "Wasn't the one who told me to run," I finished. "It was someone else. I can't remember who, but…"

"I know it must be difficult for you to believe that your mother would trade you away, so I want you to understand that she might have been tricked into it. We'll likely never know what really transpired," Takuma replied, apologetically.

"I think my mother might have betrayed me," I admitted. "I'm starting to remember now. It was only the two of us. My mother came from an old aristocratic family, but we had lost everything – including our status. She had her secrets, and she took care of me while maintaining careful distance. Sometimes, I used to suspect that she was attempting to use me for something."

Takuma's expression remained stoic for several minutes before he informed me apologetically, "I'm sorry you got caught up in our world. Even stabilized former humans aren't as well treated as they ought to be. Our society views them as miscreants. Vampires have a strong sense of duty, and we tend to look down on people who abandon their own race in hope of a better life. Even former human children are judged harshly, despite more than half of them being created due to the whims of their parents."

A part of myself wanted to assure Takuma that I was content with my fate, but I knew the lie would be too obvious, and that Takuma would only feel worse about being honest with me. Instead, I assured Takuma, "The only person who I have any control over is myself. I'm not going to concern myself over the views of others."

Smiling fondly at me, Takuma replied, "You're such a sensible child. You remind me of a friend of mine, but unlike him, you express your feelings much more freely. It might be a little selfish, but I'm glad fate brought us together."

At his words, I suddenly realized what would have occurred if Takuma hadn't decided to find and bring me home with him. In all likelihood, I would have attempted to push the bloodlust to the back of my mind, and I might have attacked a human when the instinct became too strong to ignore. I wouldn't understand what had happened to me; I would be alone, and afraid of the change that had overcome me. With no memories of recent events, I would have wandered aimlessly until either someone from the vampire community had located me, or I had gotten myself killed.

"I'm glad, too," I answered, after a long silence. As I spoke, I didn't look at Takuma, and my tone was dubious. In the back of my mind, I wondered what would have happened if I'd been taken away by the Doctor.

Although I didn't know of what species the Doctor originated, I felt very certain that he neither was a human, nor a vampire. He might have been from a higher species – one that understood how to reverse the conversion into a vampire. If he had only taken me with him, I might have been saved from this bloodthirsty fate.

"The sun is rising," Takuma told me. "You should get ready for bed. You seem to be really tired… I should have saved this conversation for later…"

Yawning, I glanced toward the doors on the back wall. Over the ledge of the balcony outside, I could see the sun's first rays emerging into view. It cast beautiful shades of red, gold, and purple over the mountain range in the distance, and for a moment, I thought of the scene depicted on my ivory mirror.

"You might be sensitive to the light," Takuma warned. "Your vision is changing."

Standing up, I quickly went into my closet to locate a nightgown. Since I'd organized all my clothes, finding one to wear was not difficult; however, I was momentarily overwhelmed by the capacity of the closet. The previously barren closet now was teeming with dresses, skirts, blouses, coats, and shoes.

While I changed into the nightgown I'd selected, I wondered how all of this could have fit into that little bag I'd brought. On top of that, the bag hadn't felt heavy.

Shaking my head at the impossibility, I returned to my bedroom, and snatched the bag off my bed. While crossing over to my vanity, I tossed the bag onto the low table situated at the foot of my bed.

Sitting down at the vanity, I quickly undid the braided bun one of the maids had fixed my hair into. Carelessly, I tossed the various pins onto the vanity, and watched from the corner of my eye as Takuma closed the heavy curtains over the glass doors. Not a ray of sunlight penetrated the curtains, and the room became nearly as dark as it had been during the night – if not darker. For a moment, a feeling of depression fell over me, as I realized that my world would be dark forevermore.

"Here, I'll brush your hair for you," Takuma told me, as he noticed me removing the numerous pins from my hair.

While Takuma gently removed the remaining hairpins, I relaxed into my seat. Letting other people brush my hair had never been my custom, but I'd enjoyed having the maid braid my hair instead of attempting to style my hair myself. Of course, styling my hair on my own wasn't difficult; in fact, I would have been finished long before the maid had managed to twist my waist-length hair into its proper position.

For a few minutes, Takuma carefully brushed out the plaits, and my hair soon returned to its original, wavy state. In order to brush sections of my hair in a single stroke, Takuma was forced to hold my hair up with one hand. Despite this difficulty, he seemed to be enjoying himself.

"I always wanted to have a younger sister," Takuma admitted. "It's difficult to have any real fun when I'm the only child in the household. I spend most of my time studying; my grandfather holds me to very high standards. Even when I'm not studying, I'm reading – mostly manga, but it gets lonely after a while. Now that you're here, I won't have to be alone all the time."

"Oh? You don't play with friends often?" I wondered.

Takuma shook his head. "Not as often as I'd like," he replied. "We live in a secluded area, and we live in different houses for different times of the year, so it isn't easy to arrange for my friends to visit."

"No wonder you're so eager to ramble on about random topics," I commented. I would have teased him more about his loquaciousness, but a yawn escaped instead.

"I've kept you up too late," Takuma apologized. "It's time I let you get to bed."

Nodding, I stood, and crawled into the soft bed I'd been given. Snuggling into the pillows, I pulled the covers up to my chin, and released a contented sigh. After my ordeal in the dungeon, I began falling asleep almost immediately after lying down. Just as I was about to drift off, I felt Takuma gently stroke my hair.

"Sleep well, Lorna-chan. I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered.

I fell to sleep with a feeling of warmth and safety, yet my dreams contained horrifying images of what my fate might have been without Takuma's protection. In the midst of these visions, a maddened creature lurked in the foreground. A man with two different colored eyes and a lurid grin was plotting an attack. He was craving something…

As the creature released a malevolent laugh, the vision fell away, and I dreamt again of the stars.

My dream took me far, far across the universe in search of something lost. All I had to guide me were two obscure definitions: They who walk in shadow, and the smell of dust after rain.

* * *

><p>Finally, I managed to write a third chapter for this story... It took me several different versions before coming up with this one, and deciding this one worked with my story best. I know it isn't the most interesting chapter, but I need to set up my plot, so I can write more interesting chapters later.<p>

Please, review to let me know of grammatical errors, or general thoughts on the story. :)

Cheers,  
>Mango<p> 


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